AWiI: Foreign Saga Episode I - The Will to Power of Man's Personality
by Xamusel - Gamma 11
Summary: Official Side Story to A Wizard in Iwatodai. When Minato and Yukari both agreed to a deal from Philemon, they didn't expect to be on a Spaceship in the middle of the galaxy, nor so far away from Earth... will they succeed in their quest to defeat Erebus before going home? Rated M for good reason.
1. Prologue

**Xamusel: Well, this was promised, and I intend to fulfill my promises.**

**If anyone wants to know what brought this on, Takeshi Yamato and I are both writing a story called "A Wizard in Iwatodai", a Kamen Rider Wizard crossover with Persona 3 (though the Persona series in general is being used to help set the stage for a lot of differences in the setting). I recommend you read the story and give it some much needed reviews, as it only has two reviews, as of this writing (8/2/2014).**

**Anyway, now that this is being written, I'd like to say the following as a disclaimer: Takeshi Yamato and I do not own the franchises used in the overall project. They are copyrights of ATLUS (who was bought out by SEGA somehow) and Namco-Bandai (for both the main part of this story and for Kamen Rider in general). This will be the only time I write the disclaimer for this story.**

**Oh, the title of the story is essentially, in the style of proper title conjunctions, "A Wizard in Iwatodai: Xenosaga Episode I - The Will to Power of Man's Personality". Thought of it myself.**

**Now… on with the story!**

* * *

**A Wizard in Iwatodai: Foreign Saga Episode I - Der Wille zur Macht der Persönlichkeit des Menschen**

_Story created and written by Takeshi Yamato and Xamusel_

* * *

Prologue: Departure from Normalcy

* * *

_20xx A.D._

_Lake Turkana_

_Kenya_

* * *

The scenery was that of a tranquil lake in the middle of the African continent, with jungles on almost all sides of the body of water. The one side that wasn't jungle was a beach, one that was currently the site of an archeological dig. In the site of the dig, many people from the area were working, primarily to help the scientist in the area out.

"…Thanks. Concentrate on the northern cliff tomorrow," the scientist, an asian man that looked to be in his thirties and wearing clothing suited to the area, said to a local as they both left the tent they were in, the local giving a report. "The ground there is hard, so be careful when you dig."

"Yes, sir," the local said with a bow.

"Doctor! Dr. Masuda!" another local called out from the area of the shore, getting the two's attention as he ran over to them, nearly out of breath.

"What is it? Did you find something?" Dr. Masuda asked.

"Yeah. We followed the corridor on the lake side. It matches the location described in the research paper…" the local said.

Dr. Masuda turned to face the first local, who could be said to be an aide, and said, "That must be it." Turning to face the other local, he said, "Good. Show us where it is!"

"Right away," the second local said, turning to lead Dr. Masuda and his aide to the location. While walking to the area, the local said, "It's different from the others."

"I knew it!" Masuda declared, as he continued to follow the one leading him.

Upon arriving at the location, the local pointed at a spot on the ground, saying, "It's over there." With that, he got out of Masuda's way, letting the scientist kneel down and take a closer look at the spot.

It was a circular engraving of what looked like advanced circuitry, an indent shaped like a quasi-cross in the middle of it, next to an image of what looked like a butterfly. Masuda brushed some of the dirt away from the inside of the circle, revealing some ancient text about what was supposed to be there, before he said, "This must be…!"

Taking a small object out of his pocket, he placed it inside the indent, revealing it to be a perfect fit to the quasi-cross. For a few seconds, nothing happened, before light started to appear on the engraving in lines… and the area around them started to shake as a platform shot out of the lake itself!

When everything settled down, the excavators all looked to see a quasi-cross appear in the air above the middle of the lake, a flock of glowing blue butterflies showing up around it. A light started to reach up to the sky itself, prompting Masuda to say, "That light…!"

Shortly after, it started to rain…

* * *

_4000 years later_

* * *

The setting is outer space, a frontier the people of Earth had longed to see, but had never gotten to fully realize by this point. Deep in a separate part of the Galaxy at large, a fleet of ships was going at sub-light speed, looking for something that would be of great importance. The object in question would be easy to find, having a flock of glowing blue butterflies around it, despite being in outer space. The object? The quasi-cross called a Zohar.

* * *

_Inside the Vector Industries-made ship _Woglinde

* * *

A group of scientists and programmers were working away on computers, trying to get an Android called KOS-MOS up to proper protocol, making sure that everything was ready for what was called an Interconnection.

* * *

_Back in outer space_

* * *

The Zohar was floating up in space, having nothing to catch it, at least not yet.

* * *

_Back with the scientists and programmers_

* * *

A red mechanical chair was about to be sat in, especially since it was what would be used in the Interconnection between KOS-MOS and 'her' creator, a woman named Shion Uzuki. As soon as she sat down, a pair of typing armrests, one on each side of her, and a computer visor that went over her eyes extended forward and around her head (in the case of the visor).

One of the scientists, a young woman named Yukari Takeba, was looking over Shion's Heart Rate, Thermography, Blood Pressure, MRI, EEG, and Psychoanalysis, to make sure an Interconnection was a good thing.

* * *

_Back with the Zohar_

* * *

The Zohar was wandering aimlessly about, all until a fleet of ships came by, having found their target.

* * *

_With the scientists and programmers again_

* * *

Shion's field of vision was near promptly filled with computer-related technobabble, before she said, "Commencing startup experiment. Open up an Interconnection."

One of her aides, a slightly older man named Allen, said, "Roger. Opening Interconnection. Connecting with dummy protocol."

Another aide, a young man by the name of Minato Arisato, said, "A-LINE protocol zone secured."

A third man said, "Opening cage partition. 60 seconds to release. Beginning countdown. 57, 56, 55…"

* * *

_Back with the Zohar (again)_

* * *

A group of space-faring craft moved to grab the Zohar and secure it, minding the butterflies. As they did so, a man in a spacesuit began to approach the artifact. When he made to touch the Zohar, a bright light shone from it, absorbing him.

* * *

_Back on the ship_

* * *

Minato looked over the programming data he was in charge of, saying, "All monitors clear."

The third man from earlier said, "…3, 2, 1. Partition open. Proceeding with KOS-MOS body formation."

As the formation was proceeding, Yukari looked around a short bit, taking a bit of time to see what was going on around her. A thought then hit her. '_Wait… I _remember_ things now!_'

At the same time, Minato had the same thought, but also thinking, '_I hope we get to learn what's going on here, unless we somehow get stuck here._'

"Body formation complete. Commencing Penfield mapping," Yukari's voice was heard, making Minato look in her direction. In effect, she looked like she did when she was in her original body, only without her original clothing. She was now wearing a Vector Industries outfit, which looked similar to what he was wearing, only the stripes on hers were pink while his were black.

Shaking his head, he looked back at his monitor, saying at the right time, "Proceeding with Encephalon construction."

Another woman's voice said, "Mapping percentage at 76,77…"

Eventually, Minato said, "Encephalon construction complete."

Allen took that time to speak up, alerting everyone else with beeping at his computer, "There's noise appearing inside the temporal lobe."

Shion, who wasn't able to look, asked, "What's the problem?"

"It's on the left side of the temporal lobe," Allen said, showing some concern. "I'm showing slight stimulation of the synapses in section 818. It's within permissible bounds, though…" Turning to face Shion, he asked, "Do you want to abort?"

"No, let's keep going," Shion answered. "Just stick to the menu. I'll try for a direct approach. Back me up."

"Roger," Allen replied. "Launching NATARAJA connection system."

* * *

_With the Zohar (yet again)_

* * *

The space-faring craft returned, this time carrying laser holders that would keep something in place, meant for transporting dangerous artifacts like the Zohar. With a burst of laser light, three rings appeared around the Zohar, keeping it from doing anything wrong… even as the butterflies stayed around it. When the Zohar made it into the _Woglinde_, the ships finally moved out of the sector, using their FTL drives to move out.

* * *

_Back with our heroes_

* * *

Shion typed her password after typing in her name, the password being, "Ye shall be as gods."

"Password accepted. Commencing NATARAJA boot up sequence," the computerized voice of the system said, before Shion was put in the Interconnection of the Encephalon. When Shion's voice came through, it was via a headset, this one being Allen's. _"Allen, there seems to be a problem with the visual field connection."_

Minato and Yukari looked in curiosity, seeing how Allen would respond. "Hmm…" he said, bringing his hand to the screens, before making a new one show up. "Ah… I see a small break in the MT field, route K12." Bringing up another screen, he said, "It looks like… the bi-directional link in the V4 field is lagged, too." When the extra screens lowered themselves, he said, "Hold on a minute… I'll fix it now." With a few keystrokes, he asked, "How's it now, Chief?"

_"__Okay, looks good,"_ Shion's voice could be heard. _"Let's keep going."_

"Roger," Allen said. "Proceeding with KOS-MOS host separation."

As soon as Allen finished saying that, an image appeared on the techies computer screens, showing a young woman-looking being with really low hanging blue hair and metallic clothing appearing on the screen. 'Her' limbs were covered with mechanical parts, even 'her' head, which had a large visor on and over 'her' eyes. On the top of the visor was 'her' name… KOS-MOS.

'_So, this is 'KOS-MOS',_' Yukari thought. '_She definitely looks unique… though from what my other memories are telling me, she's an android, not human._'

'_Almost feels like we're in an uber sci-fi setting,_' Minato thought. '_Though, judging from the memories I got, that's likely not too far from the truth…_'

Their thoughts were cut off as Shion could be seen walking up to KOS-MOS, saying, _"Morning, KOS-MOS. How do you feel?"_

KOS-MOS turned to face 'her' maker, saying, _"Good morning, Shion. All systems are normal."_

Shion then asked, _"Well, how about introducing yourself?"_

'_Introducing herself?_' Yukari thought. '_Well, it'll be interesting to see KOS-MOS' reaction…_'

'_Thing's supposed to be a weapon, and she's treating it like a person,_' Minato thought. '_Well, everyone has their quirks… and I guess it's good that she doesn't think of it as a weapon._'

KOS-MOS turned away from Shion and looked forward, saying, _"I am an Anti-Gnosis Humanoid Fighting System, serial number 00-00-00-00-1. Development name KP-X. Abbreviated name KOS-MOS. As I am currently configured for simulated battle, my output is limited to 22% of its normal capacity. My estimated weapons specifications are…"_

Shion, who had walked forward during this time, turned around and raised her hands up a short bit, saying, _"Alright, that's good enough. Thanks."_

KOS-MOS simply said, _"You are welcome."_

'_Looks like it doesn't have emotions,_' Minato thought. '_Well, still a good thing Shion doesn't treat it as a weapon, but I think she might have issues..._'

Yukari had similar thoughts, sans the issues remark.

Shion turned away from KOS-MOS and said, _"All I have for you today are the usual startup tests. Sorry to wake you up just for that. You'll have to go back to sleep once everything's checked out."_

KOS-MOS merely nodded, as 'she' said, _"I see."_

Shion then turned to face KOS-MOS and asked, _"Do you feel sad… or anything?"_

KOS-MOS then answered, _"A pre-determined set of emotions has been hardcoded into my emotion module to better facilitate interactions with humans. In order to better facilitate a relationship with you - Chief Engineer Shion Uzuki of the KOS-MOS Project, Vector Industries First R&amp;D Division - I will emit an expression such as sadness only when that response is deemed necessary. However, the emotion module of my program has determined that this is not necessary at this time."_

Shion took a bit to laugh as she heard the last of KOS-MOS's response, eventually saying, _"I guess you're right. I of all people should know that."_

'_So, it has emotions, but doesn't really use them,_' Minato thought. '_That seems a bit of a waste, even for an android designed as a weapon._'

'_Shion's definitely an interesting woman,_' Yukari thought. '_Hopefully I'll get to know her a bit more - something tells me she might be able to help Minato and I on our journey._'

KOS-MOS said, _"Your understanding is appreciated."_

Shion looked down before shaking her head a bit, saying, _But you know, KOS-MOS… I've got… mixed feelings about all this. Of course, I'm happy that you're awake… but the fact that you'll go back to sleep makes me a bit… sad. On the other hand, the next time you wake up… it may be a time of much bloodshed."_

'_True,_' Minato thought. '_Then again, I wonder just what she's been through - I can tell there's some kind of deeper connection to KOS-MOS than just being the chief developer._'

'_…__might be we're here to help Shion more than she's here to help us,_' Yukari thought. '_Well, I guess we'll have to wait and see._'

Shion continued to say, _"So deep down, I hope that day never comes… Understand?"_

KOS-MOS, who was looking at Shion until that point, turned to face in front of 'her' and said, _"The algorithms I have been programmed with do not support the comprehension of illogical human thought."_

Shion turned away from KOS-MOS, pushed up her glasses, and said, _"Well… I hope you'll be able to… understand someday."_

KOS-MOS said, _"I will do my best."_

Minato thought, '_Well, KOS-MOS certainly has us humans pegged - we do tend to think illogically._'

'_I certainly hope KOS-MOS is able to understand, too,_' Yukari thought. '_Hopefully I'll be able to help Shion with that._'

Shion then turned to face her creation and asked, _"All right, KOS-MOS, shall we get started?"_ Without waiting for a reply, she said, _"Allen, let's pick up from process 277 where we last left off."_

Allen said over the computer channels, "Roger. Placing target drones in the Encephalon. The drones are set to "random movement" and "enemy ambush". How about a test run before the mission, Chief?"

Shion said to Allen, _"Mmm, sure, let's do that."_ Turning to face KOS-MOS, she asked, _"Did you get that, KOS-MOS?"_

KOS-MOS nodded, saying, _"Affirmative."_

'_Well, let's see what KOS-MOS can do,_' Yukari and Minato thought in unison.

* * *

_After the test run is three-fourths of the way done_

* * *

The test run was about to be finished, and for good measure, too. Allen had checked that they were ready for a real-time battle, which was what they were about to do, even considering that it would be likely they'd be injured by this.

A large circular wall was seen around Shion and KOS-MOS, followed by the appearance of more drones, two of them regular Drones and the third an Attack Drone.

It took a bit of elbow-grease (figuratively speaking), but the first Drone, the one on the right, went down with two hits. Then the second Drone targeted Shion, firing its machine gun, while the Attack Drone rammed into her.

As KOS-MOS proved 'her' superiority over the Attack Drone, dealing a lot of critical damage to fully disable it, Shion finally got revenge on the Drone that shot her, finally ending the battle with a blast of lightning.

* * *

_After the final test_

* * *

'_Well, KOS-MOS sure is powerful,_' Minato thought. '_And Shion's no slouch, either._'

'_Amazing,_' Yukari thought. '_That was nothing like fighting Shadows… hopefully Minato and I can fight that well in this universe._'

Soon enough, Minato looked at his station's main data collection section and said to Allen, "All processes to 300 cleared."

Allen nodded in his direction and said to Shion, "Chief, the data transfer is going smoothly. The A-LINE protocol's looking good."

Shion responded, saying, _"It sure is. The response levels are really good."_

Allen, who was looking at some of the data that was gathered, said, "If we can maintain these levels, we'll have some great results soon."

Shion lowered her head in a bit of sadness and said, _"Yeah…"_ Looking at KOS-MOS for a bit, she was a bit sidetracked by her creation's presence, until…

"Chief?" Allen asked, trying to get her out of that state of mind.

Turning away from KOS-MOS, Shion said, _"Hey, Allen… Let's skip all 300 level processes and start from 400."_

Yukari and Minato's eyes both widened. '_Skipping a whole hundred levels of testing?_' they thought simultaneously. '_Is she nuts?_'

Allen apparently had the same idea, voicing his confusion, "Huh… 400? Chief, but that's…"

_"__I feel pretty confident this time,"_ Shion said.

"But, Chief! Remember what happened last time…?" Allen asked, hoping to remind Shion of what happened.

'_Last time?_' the two thought. '_What happened last time?_'

Allen provided the answer to their thoughts, saying, "Had we waited ten more seconds to intervene, we wouldn't have been able to get you back at all."

'_Ouch,_' they thought simultaneously.

'_Seems Shion likes to take risks,_' Minato added in his thoughts.

"Can't we at least test it out in Objective Mode?" Allen pleaded with his boss.

Unfortunately for Allen, Shion replied, _"You know we can't get precise data that way! I'll be fine. If something happens, I'll get myself out. Besides, you want to test it out as well, don't you? We spent all night building the native A-LINE protocol…"_

'_Workaholic, too, it seems,_' Minato thought again.

Yukari, meanwhile was simply worried for Shion, given all they'd heard already.

Allen, despite wanting to keep his boss safe, couldn't help but say in partial agreement, "Well, yeah, but…"

Shion, as if taking it as a full agreement, declared, _"That settles it! Let's get started."_

Allen sighed in defeat, slumping all the while, before straightening himself up and saying, "All right, then. But if anything happens, I'm going to shut it down from here, so don't press your luck!"

'_Something tells me that won't work,_' Minato thought.

'_Be careful, Shion…_' Yukari thought.

Shion nodded at Allen's declaration, saying, _"All right, all right…"_

"And don't deviate from the program…!" Allen added at the end.

Shion, in a teasing manner, said, _"Alright… mom!"_

Minato and Yukari both giggled a bit at that - and apparently, so did a few other techies.

Allen, due to knowing Shion for a good while, simply put a hand to his forehead and said, "…Jeez. This is so typical of her." Removing his hand from his forehead, he shook his head and asked himself, "Will she ever stop to think about the hell I go through for her?"

A female techie that had been behind Minato for a bit, with both she and Minato looking at Allen, spoke up to say, "You know, sir, the way you worry about Chief Uzuki all the time, I'm surprised you haven't keeled over already."

"Yeah," Yukari piped up. "I'd almost think you have feelings for her, sir."

Minato didn't say anything, but he did nod his head in agreement with Yukari's statement.

Turning to face Minato's direction as well as Yukari, Allen raised his voice to say, "H… hey! That's enough! Is the 400 level program ready to go?"

Minato nodded again, saying, "We're ready to go, anytime."

Allen then ordered the techies, "Then start up the program! I want detailed reports from every monitoring station. Any abnormalities, and I'm shutting down immediately."

'_He totally has feelings for her,_' Yukari thought. '_If he doesn't, I'll eat my pink sweater._'

* * *

_Inside the Encephalon, viewed from outside_

* * *

Shion spoke to KOS-MOS and said, _"KOS-MOS, I'll explain a bit about this place. This place is an imaginary space constructed within the network. It's modeled off of some ruins from early 2000 A.D. Your mission is to fight the main target within the dilapidated building. The target is marked with the red Vector box. There are objects in here that can be detonated. Some are effective if you set them off near the enemy. Use them to your advantage. Now then, let's start the mission."_

KOS-MOS said, _"Please explain destroyable objects."_

Shion answered, _"There are many destroyable objects on the map. When you're in range, a blue target cursor will appear. Shoot at them using the Square Button. If there are several destroyable objects grouped together, use the L1/R1 buttons to highlight in blue the one to destroy, then shoot it."_

'_What is this, a Video Game Tutorial?_' Minato thought.

KOS-MOS nodded, saying, _"Yes, understood."_

Shion exclaimed at that, _"All right then, let's start the mission!"_

First going to her left, because there was an Attack Drone that had managed to get almost too close to her, Shion found herself next to a ladder. Going up the ladder, she found a doorway and an explodable canister of flammable materials, before she said, _"Oh, also, if there are two or more objects you can select from, use the L1 and R1 Buttons to choose and shoot."_

'_This really seems like a Video Game Tutorial,_' Minato thought.

Taking the time to target the explosive, Shion fired at it, the resulting explosion helping her deal some damage to the Drones in the same room. She then targeted the door, shooting it down, before she rushed to the Drones. Shooting the one on her left with a Firecracker and a Cherry Bomb, she destroyed it, while KOS-MOS shot the one on the right with two shots of her Blaster. The one in the middle then targeted Shion with its Machine Gun, not quite doing enough damage to seriously hurt her, but enough to make her shoot a Firecracker at it in retaliation… the explosion from it being enough to destroy it.

In the collective materials found with the Drones, there were three Med Kits, both of which could recover health at a low rate. When she looked around the room, Shion found a treasure chest. Opening it, she found two of the Med Kit S items.

'_Interesting,_' Minato thought. '_I guess items from this 'Encephalon' can be used outside of it, too…_'

Shion then went back down the ladder and tried to avoid the Attack Drone again, only for it to notice her… and have with it two Drone buddies, the one on Shion's right being female and the one to the left being male. Shion quickly shot the female one with a Firecracker and a Cherry Bomb, while KOS-MOS shot the Attack Drone with her Blaster twice. It was then that KOS-MOS was shot by the male Drone, only for a quick defending motion to prevent excessive damage to be dealt, giving Shion enough time to give the soldier-looking drone a knuckle sandwich and a shock that would normally be set to stun mode… destroying it.

'_She's doing well,_' Yukari thought. '_Still, please be careful, Shion…_'

Taking the path she would've taken to get away from the Attack Drone, Shion found herself running towards a broken down truck, which she shot with her 'destroyable objects' destroyer. Proving it was indeed destroyable, she moved up the stairs that were blocked by the truck, and found her way to a door that was able to be destroyed. Destroying it, she found another Med Kit, before she grabbed it and got out of the derelict building.

Following the path back to the main building, Shion found herself fighting another Attack Drone with Drone buddies, destroying the one on her right with a Firecracker and Cherry Bomb combo. KOS-MOS took the opportunity to shoot the other one with her Blaster twice, while the Attack Drone moved forward and punched 'her', dealing more damage than was appropriate. Shion avenged KOS-MOS by shooting her Firecracker and Cherry Bomb combo again, dealing two critical hits in the same location, causing it to overload.

Unlike the previous times Shion and KOS-MOS fought, they didn't receive items, but instead…

_"__We leveled up!"_ Shion called out.

Yukari and Minato both mentally groaned. '_Did we get transported _into_ a Video Game?_' they wondered.

"Chief? What are you talking about?" Allen asked out loud.

_"__W-what? What happened?"_ Shion asked, seemingly confused by what happened. _"KOS-MOS and I fought two Drones and an Attack Drone, destroyed them, and… a bit of a blank showed up."_

'_Poor Shion,_' Yukari thought. '_Though, if this were a video game, that might have been a 'level up' moment._'

Allen scrunched his eyebrows in irritation, before saying, "This isn't good. Perhaps you should visit the Infirmary for that bit of amnesia, Chief?"

_"__Not right now, Allen,"_ Shion answered. _"I'm doing alright as it is."_

"If you say so…" Allen replied.

'_Well, let's just see what happens next,_' Minato thought, as Shion continued through the exercise.

As soon as Shion got her wits together, she went inside the dilapidated building, leading KOS-MOS to where there might be new battles to be had. The first fight they had was against another of the Drones and Attack Drone combo, where Shion used her ranged attacks to destroy the Drone on the left, while KOS-MOS targeted the one on the right. The Attack Drone shot an Energy Bullet at Shion, who promptly destroyed it with a Firecracker and Cherry Bomb, which was her ranged set of options. After the battle ended, they received a Med Kit.

Going straight to the door, in front of her, she noticed it was locked, and not destroyable. _"Looks like I need a Mission Key to open this door,"_ she mused out loud. Going up the stairs, she found another door that wasn't destroyable, only…

_"__It won't open from this side. I think it's locked,"_ she said.

"Perhaps there's another path on the outside, or maybe some destroyable object on the lower level that opens a new path?" Minato asked.

_"__Oh, thanks, Minato-san,"_ Shion answered. _"I'll go check that right—"_

_"__Who goes there?!"_ a Drone called out.

_"—__now."_

With that, another battle took place, between three Drones and Shion and KOS-MOS. Shion shot the middle Drone with her ranged skills, destroying it, while KOS-MOS attacked the one on the right with a right hook and a somersault kick. The remaining Drone shot KOS-MOS with its machine gun, while Shion went melee on the enemy, destroying it.

After a brief expedition to find any destroyable objects that opened a new path on the lower level near the entrance, Shion remembered, _"Oh, right, there's a platform in the air that had something on it. I could check that."_

Minato shrugged. He'd played a lot of video games in his life, and it seemed a lot of that experience was paying off here.

As soon as Shion made it up to the platform with the box, she destroyed it, revealing an item. Walking up to it, she realized…

_"__It's a Revive!"_ Shion exclaimed.

'_I assume that's something to revive incapacitated allies, but I won't say it out loud,_' Minato thought.

_"__Not only does it revive people, it can restore some health to the revived,"_ KOS-MOS supplied.

'_Useful,_' Yukari thought.

After a bit to get back inside the building, she soon got to a doorway, opening it and stepping inside. When she got to the end of the platform and up the stairs at the end that led up to a column with a floor on it, an AGWS appeared through the wall, targeting Shion and KOS-MOS.

Shion took the opportunity to get inside her AGWS, which was all the time she had to do anything while KOS-MOS punched and somersault-kicked the Drone SPX, which then targeted Shion's unit. That was when KOS-MOS opened fire with 'her' Blaster, before Shion made her move, With a fluid motion, she sliced the giant Drone with the unit's sword, taking a huge chunk out of the machine. That was when KOS-MOS punched the dying Drone and destroyed it. They got a Med Kit S for their troubles.

'_And we even have giant mecha,_' Minato thought. '_This is one crazy Sci-Fi world…_'

At that moment, Allen turned to face Minato and said, "Status check."

Minato replied, "I don't see anything unusual." Turning to face Allen and to allow him to look at the monitor, he said, "All systems are stable. It's looking good. This ought to make up for last month."

"…I sure hope so," Allen said hesitantly.

Another techie said to Allen, "KOS-MOS has reached the determined checkpoint. Entering process 431."

A third techie reported to Allen, "Replacing targets with Type-G Drones. Commencing display."

'_Type-G Drones?_' Yukari and Minato thought at the same time, before the display of the Encephalon saw the drones changing shape.

Allen turned to face Minato and Yukari at that moment, saying, "I know you two haven't been with us long enough to know what a Type-G Drone is, so this is your chance to see what it is, based off of the appearances of a couple kinds of Gnosis."

Their eyes widened at that, having heard a bit about Gnosis, and knowing that KOS-MOS was an Anti-Gnosis weapon. "So… those things are meant to simulate Gnosis?" Yukari asked.

"Yes, that's right," Allen answered. He then activated his headset and said to Shion, "Chief, I've changed the settings on the target drones. The next target is keyed to sound so it will only respond if you make a loud noise. You can move quietly if you hold down the R2 button while moving. Also, that thing behind you is a save point. If you press the Circle Button there, you can save your progress. Make good use of it… wait, what did I just say?"

The two mentally sighed. '_What's with the Video Game Tutorial References?_' they thought.

Shion looked at the object that was said to be a save point, seeing a slow spinning golden slab, so she moved over to it and saw… that it seemed to record her memories. After it recorded her memories, she walked away from it, going down the stairs next to the side with the save point. On her right, there was a ladder, which she proceeded to go down. Once down the ladder, she headed over to an open area, which proved to be an area full of junk.

Upon going to her left, she destroyed a box, seeing an item in the remains. Walking over to it, she saw it was an Ether Pack, so she took it. The next box was destroyed after the item in front of it was taken, revealing two Med Kit S's. Seeing a strange doorway being blocked by a broken forklift, she destroyed the forklift, moving over to the door… only to see it was something called a Segment Address, numbered 10 of the total.

Moving back to the other side of the area, she destroyed a box, only to reveal a pair of Drone G1s. Taking the opportunity to attack the one on the right, Shion fired a Firecracker and a Cherry Bomb at the Drone, only for it to take less damage than a regular Drone. That was when both of the new Drones fired energy beams, one at KOS-MOS, the other at Shion… both hit.

Then KOS-MOS fired 'her' blaster at the one on the right twice, knocking it down a few pegs in health, before Shion and KOS-MOS finished it off with a pair of physical attacks… one each. Then the remaining Drone shot another beam at Shion, who proceeded to beat it to an inch of its life with a Firecracker, a Cherry Bomb, and her Spell Ray ability. KOS-MOS merely supplied the coup de grace with overkill ranged attacks. They got two Ether Packs for it.

"Chief, items aren't the only things inside containers," Allen reminded her.

Upon getting everything she could from the junk area, Shion moved back the way she came, this time going to the doorway and opening it. When she found herself in the room she couldn't enter before, she first destroyed what was blocking the doorway on the side she was on, and almost immediately after grabbed what turned out to be the Mission Key. _"Now I can unlock the door!"_ Shion exclaimed.

Upon going to the door nearest her, she unlocked it, before silently walking out to the other door. When she got to the door on the lower level that couldn't be opened before, she slid in the Mission Key at the key panel, unlocking and opening the door.

* * *

**Takeshi Yamato: Ah, Xenosaga. I will admit it's one of my favorite game franchises - part of why one of my first big stories was ****_Mobile Suit Gundam Xenosaga_****.**

**To fans of MSGX, sorry to say my muse has run dry on that one, so it's on indefinite hiatus - might resume that one sometime, maybe even with 117 Jorn or Xam helping me, but for right now, I have others to focus on, like this one and A Wizard in Iwatodai.**

**Enjoy, and make sure to review, both this and the main story! :D**


	2. Chapter 1

**Xamusel: Well, here's the first official chapter, which starts right about when Shion and KOS-MOS are fighting the last battle in the Encephalon together. Before you ask, I realize that the prologue ended at a not so good spot, but I wanted to get the prologue up there before we worked on the next chapter of A Wizard in Iwatodai and this story.**

**Now, because I own the first game, I have a reliable source of info regarding the storyline. It's mainly because of that that the storyline has gone down a railroaded track, with some minor adjustments so far, only… we plan on making a right mess of the storyline to keep Shion's character development in place at the end of the game.**

**Anyway, if you want to see what happens in the final battle inside the Encephalon, here's your opportunity for that and more. Just be prepared for some extra things to go off the rails by the time part two of the story is over.**

**Oh, if you guys have questions to ask, feel free to. Takeshi and I will do our best to answer them correctly (as per the context of the setting).**

**Now, then… let's continue the story, shall we?**

* * *

Chapter 1: Testing one's Resolve

* * *

_Back in the Encephalon, from the outside perspective_

* * *

Shion and KOS-MOS walked further into the dilapidated building, making their way to the red Vector box that would be the target, even as they were being watched by Allen from Minato's station.

"Here we go…" Allen said, as he noticed the box lowering on the platform it was on into the ground below.

Shion was holding a screen in her left hand, observing the changes that were bound to happen, even as the next encounter was due to occur. When a giant Drone of the Type-G series showed up, KOS-MOS suddenly went a bit erratic, a bit of a shock going around her in the process.

Outside the Encephalon, an alarm was blaring, as Allen looked around a short bit. "What's going on?" he asked.

Minato answered, "A brand-new network is being formed within the KOS-MOS mainframe. We've never had a reaction like this before. This is incredible… I've never seen a Net grow so fast! Look at it, sir! Portions of the Encephalon map are evolving!"

Allen looked at the data that was forming on Minato's monitor and said, "What the…"

As for Shion, she was looking around in the room, wondering where the shaking that started happening was coming from. It didn't seem to phase her for long, though, as she said, _"Allen, I'm going to engage the target. Make sure you capture all the data."_

"What?!" Allen cried out to his boss. "You cannot engage right now! You're tapped into KOS-MOS' perception - it's too unstable!"

"I think she's got her mind set on this, sir," Minato remarked. "Short of shutting it down, I don't think we can change her mind."

Yukari looked worriedly at the displays. '_Shion…_' she thought.

_"__Don't worry,"_ Shion said. _"Like Minato said, my mind's set on it. Besides, we can pull it off without trouble."_

"What do you _mean_, don't worry?! Chief!" Allen cried out in panic, afraid to lose her.

'_Yep, he definitely has feelings for her,_' Yukari thought, though she was still worried for Shion, herself.

With that, the fight against the Drone GX started, with Shion immediately going into her AGWS to better fight the program. KOS-MOS shot it twice with 'her' Blaster, not really doing that much damage, especially as it slammed an attack down on 'her' head. KOS-MOS took another turn at it, this time going melee by punching it and kicking it. Then Shion used her AGWS to slice into the Drone and dealt a massive amount of damage, sending it to the ground on its knees, before KOS-MOS finished it off. They acquired an Ether Pack S and an additional level-up for their efforts.

Shion looked around at the area, before saying, _"So far, so good…"_ Upon saying that, she faced forward, saying, _"Shift target to Real Mode. We'll test the Hilbert Effect."_

'_Hilbert Effect?_' Yukari and Minato thought. Apparently, their selves in this universe hadn't been around long enough to hear about that, either.

"What?! Chief! You're supposed to follow the program…!" Allen cried out, getting Minato and Yukari to look in his direction.

"I take it this wasn't in the schedule yet?" Minato asked.

"Exactly, Minato," Allen said. "This _isn't_ supposed to happen at all…!"

_"__KOS-MOS, activate Hilbert,"_ Shion said, ignoring the banter between Minato and Allen.

_"__Roger. Activating Hilbert Effect,"_ KOS-MOS replied, as Shion activated her screen to record the data again. As the Hilbert Effect started up, red flashing warning symbols and warning sounds came online, signalling a massive problem taking place.

"I knew this would happen!" Allen snarled. "Status!"

"This is bad!" Yukari informed. "Something's wrong in the Encephalon!" Her fingers were flying over her keyboard. "The whole thing could collapse at any moment!"

"What?! What about the Chief?!" Allen questioned, before he looked at a screen to see Shion typing on her screen's keyboard. "Chief! You're in danger! Get out of there now!"

_"__Hold on! Just a little longer!"_ she said, hoping to gain more time.

"Chief!" Allen shouted, slamming his palms into a table between him and a monitor.

"Nerve Impulses in the Limbic System!" Yukari informed. "We've got Kindling!"

"That's _enough_! Shut it down! Pull her out of there, now!" Allen ordered.

"Roger!" Yukari informed. "Entering shutdown command!" A few seconds passed, then… "It's been rejected! The Chief's overriding us!"

"Whaaat?!" Allen cried out, looking at his monitor.

"Ten seconds to Encephalon collapse! Sir!" Minato alerted Allen.

"Dammit!" Allen cried out as he put on a pair of goggles that could manually let him get Shion out.

The environment was breaking down, lines of data code replacing parts of the environment. As Shion watched, the GX Drone was glowing golden and moving randomly, before it collapsed to its knees, arms raised high in the air.

A brighter glow from between its legs directed Shion's vision to what looked like a little girl, with orange-blond hair, blue eyes, and caucasian skin, wearing nothing but a white dress.

Before anything else could happen, Allen popped into the Encephalon, grabbing onto one of Shion's arms.

_"__Chief!"_ Allen cried out, dragging Shion out of there.

* * *

_Back in the Vector Industries KOS-MOS lab_

* * *

Tossing off his goggles, Allen turned to the chair and cried out, "Chief?!" As he rushed over to the chair, he stumbled a little bit, not enough to fall over.

Soon, the Interconnection was disengaged, letting Shion back into her normal state of mind and body.

When Allen got next to her, Minato in the background, Allen asked Shion, "Are you… all right?"

"Yeah… thanks," she replied. Pushing her glasses up a bit, she asked, "Did I push my luck a little too far this time?"

"Yeah, Chief, I think you did," Minato replied. "That was a bit too close for comfort - right, Allen?"

In response, Allen dropped to the floor, making Shion ask in concern, "Allen?"

"You can't… keep doing this, Chief," he said. "I thought I was going to have a heart attack."

"It really was dangerous, Chief," Yukari replied. "I was worried for a while there."

"Sorry about that… But I bet the data's really good," Shion apologized, bending down to Allen's level and looking at him. "Besides…"

She trailed off, remembering the girl from before, before Allen asked, "Was there something else?"

Yukari and Minato both looked curious, as well.

"Hmm?" Shion asked aloud. "Oh… it's nothing. Well, we better get started on that data." Patting Allen on the shoulder, she fully stood up and continued, "Today's our deadline, so I'm sure they'll be asking for it soon."

"Wouldn't be surprised," Minato remarked. "They do like to be punctual about things."

At that moment, an announcement on the PA was heard, a Bridge Bunny saying, "_Attention, please. We are scheduled to gate out in approximately 3 minutes. All hands, please return to your designated areas immediately. Once again…_"

Minato and Yukari at least knew about how Hyperspace worked from the memories they'd gained - though it seemed they'd never been in a location where they could witness a Gate-Out from the ship traveling before… they wondered what it would be like…

* * *

_Outer Space_

* * *

The fleet of ships belonging to the Galaxy Federation finally gated out of hyperspace, the _Woglinde_ taking up the rear, though they seemed to be far away from their designated checkpoint.

* * *

Woglinde_, Bridge_

* * *

"All ships, gate-out complete," a Bridge Bunny said over the PA.

"Shifting main engine to stealth mode," a different Bridge Crewman said. "Maintaining current speed until sector withdrawal."

"Exit from current space set at absolute time 1300 on the 22nd," the first Bridge Bunny remarked. "Seven hours, sixteen minutes, and thirty seconds to withdrawal."

"Next U.M.N. Column in seven hours, thirty-six minutes," the second crewman reported. "All gate jumps from other sectors will remain offline until then."

As the _Woglinde_ cruised on through what seemed to be an asteroid field, the ship's Captain sat back in his seat and said to the XO, "So, we're almost home…"

The XO turned to the Captain and nodded, saying, "Yes, Sir. Our final gate jump is at the next column. We're almost there."

A Bridge Bunny walked up to the two of them and said, "We made it this far; we'll be fine! The odds of contact between columns is statistically low… Besides, this asteroid field we're in is perfect for hiding the fleet from them."

"Um, don't say things like that," another Bridge Bunny remarked. "Murphy has a habit of using statements like that as his cue."

The XO, who was looking at the first Bridge Bunny to speak up, walked down to her level and said in a condescending tone, "So Pollyanna thinks those asteroids are going to protect us." Continuing his tirade, he added, "At least your fellow knows the importance of a Law of Nature."

"I… I'm sorry, Sir," the Bridge Bunny, Pollyanna, said.

The Captain walked down to speak with the XO and said, "A bit testy today, aren't we Commander? Is something wrong?"

"No… Of course not…" the Commander said.

A Bridge Crewman walked over to the two officers and said, "Ever since we picked up that object ten days ago, everyone's been a bit jumpy. And we still have a ways to go before we hit comm-space… I can empathize with the Commander."

"Hm," the Captain replied, nodding.

"Uh… Captain…" a third Bridge Bunny began hesitantly, "can you… uh… debrief us on the current situation? Our original orders from the Galaxy Federation were to investigate the vanished planet and assist the researchers, but ever since we picked up that object, it feels like… everything's changed. What exactly is that thing, anyway?"

"Who knows?" the Captain said with folded arms. "I haven't heard a single thing from the research team. But as I mentioned before, apparently they're after the object, too… That's unofficial info, of course."

"What about the rumor regarding the casualties during the retrieval process?" Pollyanna asked.

"Even if it were true, that's none of our business," the Captain answered. "The research team has their own orders to deal with. The only explicit instructions we've received state… that if there's any salvageable material in the area, their retrieval takes top priority."

The third Bridge Bunny asked in confusion, "Top priority? What does that mean?"

The Commander walked over to her and said, "What it means is, over our very lives."

Pollyanna and the other Bridge Bunny looked at each other with fear in their eyes.

"You two Nimrods didn't understand what top priority meant?" the Bridge Crewman who had empathized with the Commander snarked.

"We _resent_ that comment on us being _Nimrods_!" Pollyanna and the other girl shouted as one.

"Now, now, no need to scare them," the Captain replied. "Those orders merely reflect the importance of this operation to the Galaxy Federation Government, that's all. Just stay sharp and be careful."

"That makes sense, sir," the Bridge Crewman remarked. "The entire fleet was renovated for this mission. Besides, if there's an emergency, we've got the trump card to fall back on."

"Ahh, yes, speaking of which…" the Captain said, getting the Bridge Crewman's attention. "What's the latest on that situation?"

"They're scheduled to turn in the A-7 reports today," the Bridge Crewman reported, holding up a screen with some information on it.

"A-7, eh…" the Captain said, turning away from the others and heading to his chair. "Only one step away from fully operational. It's about time, I suppose…" Turning to face the Bridge Crewman, he said, "Lieutenant, please ask Chief Uzuki to come to the bridge once her data's ready. Ask her to bring all the previous data as well."

"Yes, Sir," the Lieutenant replied.

Down below in the forward crew pit, one of the Crew Members asked, "What trump card? Was he referring to that Battle Android?"

"That's right. You didn't know?" the one he asked replied while typing away.

"Wow, so it's true…" the first Crew Member remarked.

"Hey, I heard that project's really behind schedule," a Bridge Bunny that looked like Pollyanna said to the first Crew Member.

"You can't blame 'em," the second Crew Member replied. "There were casualties during their last boot-up test two years ago. They're being more careful this time."

"It's hard to believe they're making an android in this day and age," the first Crew Member remarked. "Only place I've ever seen them is in old space novels."

"Well, trump card or not, it's still an experiment," the second Crew Member said. "And it ain't like one android's going to make that much of a difference. The whole project's just a chance for those Vector guys to show off. Someone's outdated hobby, that's all."

"I've heard that even their commercial models differ greatly between those that have seen action, and those that haven't," the Bridge Bunny remarked.

"They say ignorance is bliss… Looks like they were right," the Commander said, having overheard the conversation and gone down to their level.

"Commander?!" the Bridge Bunny said, startled.

"I'm just envious, that's all," he said cryptically, looking out into the distance, causing the crew to look at him strangely.

* * *

_Vector Industries Lab_

* * *

"…Sure. I'll be there in 30 minutes," Shion said over the comm link. With that, she shut the link off.

"They certainly didn't waste any time," Allen remarked.

"See?" Shion asked. "I'm usually right about these things."

"Chief Uzuki," Yukari said as she walked up, "here's the data you requested. Will that be all?"

Taking the data, Shion said, "Thanks. This should be good enough." Putting the data down at her station, she got up and said, "I'll take care of the rest." With that, she walked over to where KOS-MOS was sleeping, with Minato on the other side of the container, making some minor adjustments to KOS-MOS.

Another techie walked up to Shion and asked, "Um… Chief… Do you have a second?"

Shion turned to face the techie and answered, "Yes?"

"Um, the military is expecting actual combat data from us," the tech said. "Is it right for us to keep giving them simulated data like this?"

"Well, I must admit, you got me there," Shion replied. "But honestly, if it were up to me, I'd keep her here… safe in her dream world forever."

"But… why are you so afraid to put her to real work, when you push her so hard in simulations?" the techie asked. "I can't wait to see KOS-MOS up and completely functional." He paused for a moment. "Couldn't you at least try taking her up to Phase 3? That should be no problem for her by now."

"Phase 3 in a simulated battle-config?" Allen asked as he walked up to the two of them. "Come on… no need to wake up our little princess for that." He slapped the tech across the back, getting him to shut up for a bit. "Here's a summary of KOS-MOS' main equipment from the Second Division. This should help you with the guys upstairs," he said to Shion, handing her some extra data.

"Thanks. I'm sure it will," Shion said.

Allen then asked Shion, "By the way, Chief, what did you think of the M.W.S. and the A.G.W.S.? It's just dummy data created inside the Encephalon, but it was pretty exciting stuff, wasn't it? If neither had problems during this test, all that remains are the functionality tests using actual models."

"It worked pretty well," she replied. "The M.W.S. in particular felt right to me. I sense something contrived in that, though."

"Well, I hear Miyuki is closely involved with the M.W.S. I'm sure she's up to something again," Allen said.

"Oh, by the way, could you send the Connection Gear data to Headquarters for me?" Shion asked. "You know the Vaporizer Plug-in that we used to destroy obstacles? I wonder if they're also going to manufacture it based on our test data? I swear, they pile everything they can on us, under the pretext of testing KOS-MOS…"

Allen said, "Well it's inevitable, considering they have a lot of other concerns, like the budget."

Shion nodded, and made her way to the exit of the room. "Okay, see you later!" she said, as she headed out the door.

"Okay, good luck!" Allen called after her, waving as she left the room.

While everyone was looking at him expectantly, he cleared his throat a bit, saying, "Well! Back to work!"

* * *

_With Shion_

* * *

Shion headed down the corridor to head over to the Bridge when she noticed she got an email about Vector releasing a new model of their product. After taking the time to read all of her emails, she spoke with her AI about stuff, before she hurried over to the Bridge.

* * *

_Back with Minato and Yukari_

* * *

Allen was walking in the area, seeing Minato and Yukari stand up to take a stretch break, and said, "Okay, you two, time to take a break. You've been at it more than almost everyone else, being more involved than ever, so… you deserve a chance to go off-duty."

"Wait, really?" Yukari asked, unsure of how to take this.

"It would make sense to let us take a break, Yukari," Minato said. "After all, we're being pushed harder than others by our own choices… we need the break, more than anything."

Yukari nodded. It would be a good chance to talk in private, truly get their bearings in this new world. "Alright, then," she replied. "Thank you, sir!"

Allen nodded, saying, "You're welcome. Take the time you need to get a true breather. I'll have a couple others take over for you."

With a bow, Yukari and Minato both headed out of the room, straight in the direction of their boss for the time being.

Once the door had closed behind them, Yukari remarked, "Well, this is definitely a lot different than Iwatodai… I mean, Humanity actually living among the stars?"

Minato nodded, saying, "Yeah… Humanity seems to have lost Earth, or, as it's locally called, First Jerusalem, close to 4000 years ago. How that happened is anyone's guess… But, what is clear is that people are looking for our ancestral home, and they won't stop until they find it."

"You can say that again…" Yukari said, nodding in agreement.

"And the Gnosis…" Minato continued. "I've never seen any, well, aside from the Type-G Drones now, I guess… but I've definitely heard of them, and they sound like bad news."

"Indeed," Yukari said. "Maybe the Hilbert Effect was supposed to make it possible to defeat a regular Gnosis?"

"Food for thought, that," Minato answered with a shrug.

"Well, hopefully when we get to Second Miltia, we can find out more," Yukari remarked. "In the meantime, might as well enjoy the trip."

It was at that time that the door opened behind them, showing Allen rush up to them. "Oh, good, you're still here!" Allen said, out of breath slightly. After calming down and getting his breath back, he held out the report materials Shion forgot earlier and asked, "Could you please get these to the Chief? She forgot to take them with her earlier."

Yukari nodded. "Sure thing, sir," she replied. "Still, you need to ask her out already! I can tell you have feelings for her."

"When I see her next, I'll do so," Allen promised. "She might be on her way to the Bridge right now… could you go find her?"

"Gotcha," Minato replied. "Well, let's get going, Yukari-chan."

"Alright, Minato-kun," Yukari replied, as they started out again.

"WAIT!" Allen called out, causing them to stop in mid step. "You forgot the report materials!"

"Oh… right…" Minato replied sheepishly, as he went back and picked them up. "Thanks, Allen-san."

"Don't mention it," Allen replied. "Oh, and drop the honorifics, please. I'm not really descended from a family that requires it." Looking at Yukari, he said, "Same goes for you."

"Alright, Allen," Yukari replied. "Come on, Minato-kun, let's get these to Shion-san."

"Gotcha," Minato replied, as they set out once again - this time with the reports in hand.

* * *

_On the way to the Bridge, with Shion_

* * *

While Minato and Yukari were hurrying after their superior, Shion was walking through the hangar bay, having gotten sidetracked by the Zohar and then berated for being a civvie on a military ship by the head of the research team. When she managed to get to the way that would take a direct route to the Bridge…

"Chief!"

She turned, and saw Minato and Yukari running up to her. "Minato-san? Yukari-san?" she asked. "What is it?"

Once they reached her, they took a few seconds to catch their breaths, before Minato handed her the report documents. "You left these in the lab, ma'am," he said. "Probably not the best of things to do when you're supposed to be delivering them to the Bridge."

"Oh, right," Shion said, bashful at the lack of decorum. "Thank you, both of you."

"No worries," Minato replied. "To be honest, Allen had let us go on break, but then caught up to us so we could deliver them to you."

"Why he wouldn't do it, himself, I have no idea," Yukari added. "It's clear he likes you a lot."

"He does?" Shion asked, shock appearing on her face. "Is that why he always goes through such difficulties for me?"

"Most likely," Minato replied. "It's also likely why he worries about you so much… honestly, you should go out with him, if only to see how well it would work out between you two."

"Right," Shion said with a nod. "Okay, I'll see if I can go out with him… though, given my luck with maintaining a relationship, it might not work out."

They blinked at that, then Minato said, "I sense a story there, but you'll never know until you try."

"You're right, there _is_ a story there," Shion admitted. "However, now's not the time for it, since I have to get to the bridge. You two better continue your break now."

"Alright," Yukari replied. "But it might be good for you to share that story sometime!" After making sure Shion had the report documents, Yukari and Minato went on their way.

Shion walked on through the corridor as Minato and Yukari headed back to their rooms—

And behind her, the girl in the white dress appeared once more…

Shion looked back behind her, seeing nothing but a blue butterfly, one that must've followed her from the hangar bay where the Zohar was at.

"What's wrong, Shion-san?" Yukari asked.

"Huh?" Shion looked at Minato and Yukari, both of whom were looking at her worriedly. "Nothing… Oh I'm just not myself today…"

"Maybe you should get some rest, yourself, after you finish delivering the reports?" Minato suggested.

"Yeah, I—" was all Shion could say before her email buzzer went off. "Huh? Who could that be?"

Yukari and Minato watched as Shion brought up her email. "More Realian maintenance?" Yukari asked. "They ask you for help a bit more often than they should…"

"Isn't it a violation of regulations to deal with other departments?" Minato asked.

"Not to mention they're expecting you on the Bridge," Yukari remarked.

"Oh, don't worry about it," Shion replied. "I can't just brush them off - besides, it's on the way, and I have some time."

"At least let one or both of us go with you, to make sure you get done in time," Yukari requested.

"Alright, I guess that works," Shion replied. "You can both come along - plus, your skills might help out a bit." With that, they walked on over to the corridor to take them to the Realian Maintenance section, until…

"Oh, I forgot that I need to bring the data for fine-tuning Realians with me," Shion said. "I'll get it from my room and be right back." With that, she headed into her room and came straight out, after getting the Maintenance Data.

"Alright, let's get this done," Minato remarked. "The sooner we can do this, the sooner we can get Shion-san to the Bridge."

As soon as those words left Minato's lips, Shion's email buzzer went off again, signifying a new email… this time from Shion's friend Miyuki. After taking the time to read it, she walked on forward, over to the Realian Maintenance section. "Time to get to work, you two," she said.

"Right," Yukari replied. This would be the first time she'd ever done any actual Realian maintenance, even before her soul from Iwatodai had been anchored in this body, but she looked forward to it.

* * *

_In the Realian Maintenance Lab_

* * *

Shion, Yukari and Minato arrived at the lab, Shion announcing, "Hello! You rang?"

"My apologies, Miss Uzuki," the head of Realian Maintenance apologized. "It seems we're constantly in need of your help." He then noticed Yukari and Minato. "And you brought additional help, too! That should speed things up."

"It's no trouble at all, Lieutenant," Shion answered. "I want everyone to be healthy and happy too, after all. So… what's the problem today?"

"Well, I'm trying to teach them some new battle algorithms to better reflect the unit's reorg," he said, "but the integration's not going very smoothly."

Yukari looked at the monitor for the Realian maintenance and said, "You're right. He's rejecting the data."

Shion took some steps over to the monitor and said, "Let's see…" After getting to the keyboard, she started typing, helping get the data up to speed.

After that was done, she asked, "Let's see, we just need to check the Realians lying on the maintenance beds, right?"

"Yes, thank you for your help," the Lieutenant replied.

"Let's split up, then," Minato said.

"Right," Yukari said.

"Good idea," Shion said.

The three separated, each going to a different set of maintenance beds and talking to the Realians there. Yukari went to one set where there was one that seemed to have a fear of battle, and another one that seemed to have a crush on Allen.

Shion helped adjust one that afterwards remarked that he felt that a weight had been lifted, then another combat Realian that she ended up talking to about how she wished they didn't have to fight.

Minato, meanwhile, got a Realian that had been trying to study literature, but seemed to be having problems understanding it.

"Well, we've made some adjustments, but please contact Third Division once we return," Shion said. "I recommend they receive more intensive counseling soon."

"I'll be sure to do so," the Lieutenant said. "You know, I'm really impressed… Providing Realian psych support on top of developing KOS-MOS. I hear even specialized counselors have a hard time…"

"Oh, I'm just making the most of what my mentor taught me," Shion said. "I'm glad I could be of help."

"It was my first time doing this, but it was fairly easy," Yukari remarked.

"Yeah," Minato added. "Wasn't too difficult."

"Besides, I always wanted to work in the Third Division…" Shion admitted. "Actually, I'm thinking about requesting a transfer once my current work's finished."

"But Vector's First R&amp;D Division has the best researchers in the organization!" the Lieutenant argued with Shion. "_Everyone_ knows not just anyone can get in there. Are you sure that you want to transfer?"

"Oh, yes," Shion replied. "Besides, my family's always asking, 'How did _you_ get assigned to the First Division? There must have been a mistake in the paperwork…' Who knows, maybe they're right." Turning to face a Realian as a door opened, she walked over to it and continued, "Besides… I want to learn so much more about them."

"What's learning about _them_ going to do for _you_?" asked a new voice from the doorway.

"Lieutenant Virgil!" the Lieutenant in charge of the Realian Maintenance section said in surprise.

Looking at each other, Yukari and Minato thought, '_Who's he?_'

Walking over to one of the Realians was a man in a pilot's suit, with blond hair, teal eyes, and _heavy_ scarring. He leaned down and sniffed the air around the Realian. "Their stench…" he remarked.

"What?" Shion asked.

"It reeks," the man, Lieutenant Virgil, remarked as if he hadn't heard her. "I can't get their rotten odor out of my system." He looked up at Shion. "Can't you smell it? It makes me sick to my stomach."

"What are you…?" Shion began. It was at this time that she saw the scarring for what it really was.

"Chief?" Yukari asked Shion.

"You alright with this creep?" Minato asked his boss.

"That's enough!" the other Lieutenant shouted. "You've got your orders from the Lieutenant Commander, didn't you? One of the goals of this operation is to enhance combat support between the A.G.W.S. and the new-model Realians! And yet you're…"

"Support? Ha!" Virgil retorted. "In a battle against _them_, the last thing I want to worry about is supporting a bunch of untested Weapons-Grade Realians!"

"Ummm…" Shion interrupted, getting Virgil's attention. "Excuse me, but these people are highly qualified soldiers…"

"These _people_?! You're treating equipment like people?" Virgil interrupted, walking away from the Realian he was next to.

"You really shouldn't say things like that!" Shion countered. "These people have the same intellect and emotions as us." Turning to walk to Lieutenant Virgil, who was facing away from her, she continued, "And the Miltia Charter clearly spelled out the basic human rights of Realians when it was ratified in 4763."

Turning his head to Shion, Virgil said, "What a load of crap… Get off your soapbox!" Turning around to fully face her, he continued, "You act noble and preach about humanity, but in the end, they're just equipment as far as your company is concerned. Or maybe… more like merchandise…"

Minato was starting to get rather angry with the man known as Lieutenant Virgil, though he didn't know how to strike him without getting in trouble, not even with a hidden weapon…

"_Young one,_" a voice that sounded a lot like Orpheus said in his head. "_Tell me to Bash his head, and I'll do it. You'll be able to get away with it, too, in case anyone asks questions._"

'_Right… thanks, Orpheus,_' Minato thought.

"We don't treat them anything like equipment or merchandise!" Shion countered angrily.

'_Bash his head!_' Minato thought.

"Then why do you—"

***CRASH***

Lieutenant Virgil suddenly went down to the ground, mostly by an invisible force that hit him on the top of his head.

Almost everyone looked at him, wondering what was going on. "Part of me wants to ask if he's alright, but he's an asshole," Yukari remarked.

The Lieutenant in charge of the area sighed, before heading over to Virgil to check for a pulse. "Well," he said upon getting the pulse, "he's alive - if barely. He's definitely not combat ready at this rate."

"Might want to see about getting him to the infirmary, if only to get him out of here," Minato remarked. "Don't want his bigotry contaminating the air."

"Right," one of the human female scientists for the section said, going to a console.

Shion asked aloud, looking at Virgil's prone body, "Is he… A DME addict?"

"DME Addict?" Yukari asked. "What does that mean?"

"It's someone that eats the flesh of Realians, searching for a type of cell that leads to what happens when they eat enough of the stuff," Shion said, feeling disgusted. "The biggest giveaway is the scarring on his face and possibly the rest of his body."

Minato winced. "Ouch…" he said.

"My apologies, Miss Uzuki," the head scientist replied, walking up to her. "He wasn't always like that, but then… something… happened."

Shion turned to face him, asking, "Is he an old… acquaintance?"

With a nod, the scientist explained, "We were classmates at the military academy." Walking to Shion's left, he continued, "And I've been stuck with him since then." Turning to face her again, he said, "…It was Miltia."

"I see…" Yukari muttered, her expression going downcast. Minato put an arm around her comfortingly - the Yukari from this universe was actually born on Miltia, and needed to evacuate during that conflict… she'd met this universe's Minato shortly afterward. It was rather weird having two conflicting sets of memories, one where they were childhood friends, and the other where they'd only just met a couple of days ago… and to top it off, this universe's Minato had been beginning to experience deeper feelings for his friend… and while Iwatodai Minato thought Yukari was beautiful, he and Iwatodai Yukari hadn't had enough time to grow that close yet.

Shion also had a downcast expression, as she muttered, "I see… So… that's why."

"You knew about that, huh?" the scientist asked both Shion and Yukari. "Then again, anyone planning to join the Third Division would know, Miss Uzuki… though, I'm not sure why you know, Miss Takeba, considering your specialties."

"I… I'm _from_ Miltia…" Yukari replied, sorrowfully. "My dad… my dad was a scientist there… when the conflict started he had Mom take me and leave… He said he needed to stay to take care of something… I… I never saw him again…"

"As for me, I…" Shion started to say, unsure how to say it. She then lifted her head and said it in the best way possible, "I'm _from_ Miltia, too."

"Huh?" the scientist asked.

"Of course, no one's allowed to go there anymore…" Shion said, turning to walk over to a different part of the room. "My family moved to Second Miltia when they transferred the capital after the war… And my brother still lives there, alone."

"Oh, I see…" the scientist said, looking down. Looking up again, he said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring back painful memories."

"Oh, it's all right," Shion replied. "After all, it's something we must never forget about." She looked at one of the Realians. "For our sake, and theirs as well."

"Yeah," Minato replied. "Anyway, Shion-san, you still need to get to the Bridge, right?"

At that moment, Shion's email alert sounded out, causing her to look at it for a short bit. "Oh, no! I'm running late! I don't know how that happened, but I have to report to the bridge! Sorry, I'll come back to check on them later! Bye!" With that, she ran out the door, headed to the bridge from there.

"Ack! Wait for us, Chief!" Yukari and Minato exclaimed in sync, as they ran off after Shion.

The three ran out, the door closing behind them.

* * *

_Several Minutes Later_

* * *

It took them a short while, but they finally made it to the Elevator to the Bridge.

"Well, here we are," Minato remarked. "You want us to join you up there, Shion-san?"

"If you want to, yes," Shion answered. "Still… I'd appreciate it if people could quit making me go against the schedule, like with Mr. Holgar and his drilling operation."

"Right…" Yukari said. "By the way, what's the Drilling Passport for, anyway?"

"Hmm?" Shion asked, before taking it out. "Oh, right. It's for doing some drilling activities at set locations."

"Personally, I think the only good thing you got was the Med Kit that he gave you," Minato quipped.

"Maybe…" Shion replied. "Still, I wonder what was with that email Miyuki sent…"

"What do you mean, Shion-san?" Yukari asked.

"I mean, that plan she had to design a new weapon for KOS-MOS," Shion replied. "I know she's crowdsourcing it to get it done faster, but she's still going behind the director's back with this."

"Well," Minato said. "Perhaps you need to mention this to the director as soon as possible, but not too soon?"

"Possibly…" Shion answered. "Well, I'm heading to the Bridge - you want to join me?"

Looking at each other, Minato and Yukari nodded, before joining Shion in the elevator.

The ride was only a few seconds, before the platform opened up onto the Bridge.

Shion walked up to the Captain. "Apologies for being late," she said.

"Don't worry about it," the Captain replied. "Now that you're here, can you show us KOS-MOS' data?"

"Yes, sir, right away," Shion replied.

* * *

_Quite a few minutes later_

* * *

"I see," the Commander said. "I understand the basic specs." After a moment's pause, he asked, "So, where's the actual field data?"

"Well, it's not quite ready…" Shion answered. "All I can provide today is up to A-7."

"So you don't have it?" the Commander asked.

"Well, we'll begin testing with a mock-up unit very soon, but the system is still a little unstable, and-" Shion started to say.

"Aren't you just making excuses?" the Commander shot back, tired of how this was going. "Listen, Chief Uzuki. Why do you think you're on this ship? Think about that for a moment."

"Listen, Commander, Shion-san's doing the best she can," Yukari replied. "The unit just isn't ready yet - I mean, in our last Encephalon Test, just before we Gated Out, we experienced a malfunction that almost destroyed the test environment! If Deputy-Chief Ridgely had just been a second slower, Shion-san might have _died_ in that test!"

The Commander looked to Yukari and was about to yell at her for interrupting him when the Captain said, "Let it go, Commander. They're working under serious time constraints, just like our own squadron. Besides, they're only one step away from actual field testing, if you were going to get to that point in your arguing. In the end, we all want to see this operation completed without having to resort to that thing, don't we?"

"Of course, Captain," the Commander replied, "but I believe-" He was interrupted by his personal comm unit going off. "Argh! Who's calling me…" he muttered. He then paused.

"Is there a problem?" the Captain asked.

"Oh, uh, no," the Commander replied. "Something urgent's come up - if you'll excuse me." the Commander then left.

"I wonder what's wrong?" the Captain asked after the Commander had left.

"Who knows?" Minato asked the Captain.

With a nod, the Captain said, "That's enough for today, you three… especially you, Chief Uzuki. Let me know if any new developments arise."

With a bow, Shion said, "I'm sorry we failed to meet your expectations."

"Oh, there's no need to apologize," the Captain said. "What's important to us is how reliable the system is once we start using it. Rushing the project won't get us anywhere, so just calm down and take as much time as you need. The government's funding it all, anyway, right? You must be tired. Take the rest of the day off."

"Thank you, sir," Shion replied with a bow, a bow that was mirrored by Minato and Yukari, before the three left the Bridge.

* * *

_Later, outside the Vector Staff Quarters_

* * *

"Thanks for the help, you two," Shion replied outside the door to her room.

"You're welcome, Shion-san," Yukari replied. "Still, remember when we told you about Allen, and your mentioning your history with relationships, and that there was a story behind that? Well… I'd like to hear it now, if you don't mind."

"I'm kind of curious, as well," Minato remarked.

"Well…" Shion said. "I used to have a boyfriend, a man named Kevin. He was a great guy to be around, but… well, during the boot-up test two years ago, there was an incident that took his life. I… I haven't been able to get over his death yet, so…"

"Oh…" Yukari replied, looking downcast. "I see…"

"Sorry to hear that," Minato remarked. "Still… would he want to see you mourning for him like this?"

"Well… no, I don't think so," Shion answered. "Thanks for reminding me about that."

"You're welcome," Minato remarked. "Anyway, what all was that stuff we got on our way to the Bridge and back here? I know there was another Passport aside from that Drill one…"

"Well, Allen had arrived shortly before we got back here to give us the Battle Passport I forgot to get earlier," Shion replied. "Not only that, but that game of 'tag' was interesting, in that I had to outrun the soldiers to get what they wanted me to obtain upon winning… it was an interesting experience."

"Yeah…" Yukari replied. "And then you got that message for a package being delivered… Miyuki sent you that M.W.S. you used in the Encephalon, right?"

"Yes, indeed," Shion answered. "Then I spent my money getting some Bio Spheres and an Ether Pack, which I felt was worth the effort, really."

"Chief, you have _got_ to quit blowing your cash like that," Minato said, palming his face as he did so.

"Agreed," Yukari remarked. "I mean, yeah, I splurge sometimes, myself, but usually it's better to save up, in case something expensive you want becomes available."

"Well… you're right, you two," Shion admitted. "Still, back to relationship issues, where are you two going to go out on a date yet?"

They blinked. Minato knew his 'local self' had been developing feelings for the local Yukari before he and his Yukari had been placed in their bodies, but… did the local Yukari really feel the same way?

"Oh, don't give me that look," Shion said, teasingly. "I've noticed the ways you look at each other are nothing short of love for the other, despite not acting on your feelings yet. Quit dragging your feet into the dirt and get on with it, already, you two!" Pushing the two of them to Minato's room on the ship, she said, "Get in there and start your planning! Don't come out unless it's an emergency, or if you finish the planning. That's an order, y'hear?!"

"A-alright," Yukari replied, as the door closed behind them. She then looked at Minato. "So… I guess our local selves…"

"Were falling in love with each other…" Minato replied. "Yeah… definitely kinda weird, and confusing when you compare it to our Iwatodai memories… I mean, yeah, I knew you were attractive, but we only knew each other for two days in Iwatodai."

"True," Yukari said, nodding. "I knew you were indeed a very handsome guy in Iwatodai…" Suddenly, she clapped her hands over her mouth, some pink dusting her face.

Minato blushed, too. "Well… would you like to… give a relationship a try?" he asked hesitantly. "See if it works out?"

"U-uh… well… oh, why not?" Yukari answered. An idea popped into her head. "Say, what about we go out to eat once we land, before we do anything explicit?"

Minato nodded. "That works," he replied.

At that moment, Yukari's email buzzer went off, getting her to wonder who sent it. Looking at her email, she said, "Oh, right, we can come out as soon as we finish planning a date out… or, rather, I can. It's _your_ room."

"Right," Minato replied. "Well… good night, Yukari-chan… see you in a few hours…"

"Good night, Minato-kun… I'll see you then," Yukari answered, before leaving the room, heading for her own.

* * *

_Location Unknown_

* * *

_"…__You've made a grave mistake, Cherenkov,"_ a man said to the Commander over a comm channel. _"I believe I already warned you about the dangers of the Zohar. You should have been more careful while retrieving it."_

Commander Cherenkov nodded his head and said, "Yes, Sir. I'm afraid that there's no excuse for the fatalities that occurred during the recovery. However, we can…"

_"__That's a trivial matter. Forget it,"_ the mysterious man said. _"The problem… is that those people touched the Zohar, and then vanished… And… in addition to that, you're still transporting it while exposed to normal space. Because of that, we've had to move the plan up two phases. We can't have the Zohar falling into the government's hands."_

"Two phases…?!" Cherenkov implored. "But why are you…"

_"__We've picked up local U.M.N. activity on our EPR radar,"_ the man continued. _"The fleet is column jumping towards the position of your convoy. They'll cross your vector in five hours, 22 minutes."_

"No, it can't be?!" Cherenkov replied, shocked. "Them?!"

_"__I told you, you've made a grave mistake,"_ the man said. _"We dispatched reinforcements an hour ago. So keep it safe at all costs until they arrive."_

"W-will they make it in time?" Cherenkov asked.

_"__Just keep it safe until they arrive,"_ the man ordered. _"I don't care if you have to send it into hyperspace by itself. Fortunately for you, your ship is carrying that weapon. I don't know what Vector's up to, but take advantage of the situation if you can…"_

"E-excuse me, Sir," Cherenkov interjected, "but they haven't even started field testing it yet!" He paused for a few seconds, before shaking his head. "It's too risky!"

_"__You of all people should be cognizant of its power,"_ the man said, driving his point home. _"I don't care if it's unstable. Make them hurry."_

"But, but Sir…" Cherenkov began.

_"__That is all,"_ the man finished.

"Commander, wait!" Cherenkov called out. "Commander Margulis!"

But his pleas fell on deaf ears, as the transmission was cut.

* * *

**Takeshi Yamato: Well, we've started the actual plot of the story.**

***sighs disgustedly* I never liked Virgil. He was such a bigoted prick. At least Cherenkov is semi-likeable, because he's just a soldier doing his job, if a bit strict. The fact that his true job is as a spy for the bad guys is beside the point.**

**And it seems like the local Yukari was born on Miltia, like Shion. That'll be interesting… and the friendship local Yukari had with local Minato has managed to get the Iwatodai versions of them to decide to give a relationship a try… things will be developing quickly there, though.**

**Anyway, please review this and the main A Wizard in Iwatodai story.**

**See you in the next chap! :D**


	3. Chapter 2

**Xamusel: Well… this starts the main portion of how things are going to go. I apologize for how similar it starts out to the game's plot, but, well… we're getting to the part where major divergences can occur.**

**Oh, if any of you rejoiced over Virgil's treatment in the previous chapter, good. That was intentional, if only to get rid of a reason for KOS-MOS to commit murder later on, especially if we reach it this chapter.**

**Anyway, the reason why Orpheus's harp was invisible? Only those with the power of Persona could see it, which only Yukari has… at that point in time.**

**Now… time to continue the story!**

* * *

Chapter 2: Gnosis Attack!

* * *

_Shion's Room_

* * *

"Like I told you before, I can't go anywhere until my project stabilizes," Shion said over a transmission in her room. "Don't you remember?"

_"__You know how long you've been saying that?"_ said the person on the other end of the line. _"I haven't seen you for two years now. You could at least come home for our parents' memorial. Where's your sense of filial duty?"_

"Memorial? Ahh… Come on!" Shion said to the person on the other end, who seemed to be her brother. "Why are you trying to resurrect obscure ancient rituals?" Suddenly, it hit her. "Wait a minute. You've been reading those weird old books of yours, haven't you? I swear, you're so obsessed with those precious books of yours!"

_"__That is none of your business, thank you very much,"_ her brother replied. He then sighed. _"How many times must I tell you not to quibble about my way of life."_

"What do you mean, way of life?" Shion questioned her brother over the transmission. "All that stuff's just a stupid old hobby for you. Just remember, don't expect me to take you in when you're old, senile, and all alone."

_"__That's terribly rude of you, Shion,"_ her brother replied. _"Don't worry about me, just promise me you'll come home this year, okay? If you don't…"_

"All right, all right, when I get some time off," Shion replied to that, hanging her coat up on the hanger. "Look, gotta run - see ya!"

_"__Hey, wait!"_ her brother called out. _"I'm not going to let you dodge the question again… Hello? Hellooo…"_

Shion then turned off the transmission while her brother was talking, before she sat down on her bed. "Honestly…" she said to herself. "I wish he'd consider my feelings for a change… I feel bad for doing this, but… Maybe I should take a bit of a rest."

Before she could go to bed, though, she saw an unusual sight: A glowing blue butterfly like those that flew around the Zohar flying _through the wall_ and into her room. With her vision blurring, she was asleep on her bed with no way of knowing how she pulled it off.

* * *

_Platform of the In-between_

* * *

Shion found herself on a strange platform, her coat on, and a man in a white tuxedo and a butterfly mask in front of her. Before she could say anything to the man, he bowed to her and said, "Welcome. It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Philemon, a dweller between consciousness and unconsciousness. And now, a simple test; can you state your name?"

"Shion Uzuki," she replied. "A pleasure to meet you, Philemon-san."

"Splendid," Philemon said, nodding at her. "There aren't many who can remember their identity when in this domain. It seems you've passed that test."

Before Philemon could continue, a little girl could be heard coughing from behind Shion. "You hijacked my meeting with Miss Shion here, Mister Philemon," she said with a bow.

Philemon looked as apologetic as he could behind the mask. "My apologies, Miss Nephilim," he replied. "But, with everything that is about to happen, I felt it best to speak with her now."

Shion, possibly because she was confused, asked, "Uh… what?"

"Shion…" Nephilim began. "Events have been set in motion. The spirits of the dead are seeking the last fragment of the power that came from Lost Jerusalem. You will soon be facing a great trial."

"Indeed," Philemon said. "You have a road to travel that is filled with many dangers, and your life will forever be changed."

"H-how will my life be forever changed?" Shion asked, being royally confused by the words said.

"You will obtain a great blessing, greater than any you have received before," Nephilim remarked. "But, to receive this blessing, you will pay a heavy price…"

"Correct," Philemon said, getting Shion's attention. "Now, tell me this; are you aware of the many and varied selves you harbor within you?"

"What are you…?" Shion started to ask.

"People use varied masks to interact with others," Nephilim remarked. "This mask can vary depending on the one being interacted with - someone could be kind and gentle to one individual, yet cruel and hateful to another. Even if one's true self is revealed, it could still be just another mask."

"As Miss Nephilim has said," Philemon continued. "That is the nature of humanity. You, though… you have a very firm grip on your identity. I respect your strong will. In return, I grant this power; Persona. It is the power to summon the selves within you… the gods and the demons you harbor."

"Wait a minute, back up," Shion said with hands raised. "There's actually a reason why such rituals like what my brother's a fan of exist?"

"In a way," Nephilim replied. "Mythology. Legend. Religion. All these affect people in different ways. Mister Philemon is one who allows individuals he has chosen to summon beings based on figures in those legends. The beings summoned are also affected by the true self of the one who summons them."

"True," Philemon answered Nephilim's explanation, before looking at Shion. "The time is soon when you will need this power."

"How soon are we talking, here?" Shion asked.

"All we can say is that your current voyage will not end as planned," Nephilim replied. "You must be ready."

"I will say, however, that you will receive help," Philemon added. "There are two others in your proximity who have the ability to summon Persona, and one will soon also gain another power."

"I… I see," Shion answered, unsure of how to say anything more on the subject.

Philemon looked at Nephilim and nodded, both agreeing to something important. "Now, you must return, to your proper time and place," he said to cause Shion to return to her normal sleeping patterns… of tossing and turning, with Nephilim watching over her, before she turned the lights off for her.

* * *

_Back in the realm of Consciousness_

* * *

The lights were off in the corridors, most everyone going to sleep at this time, even as there were a couple techies in charge of looking over KOS-MOS in that particular area. It was safe to say that things were not about to go to Hell in a handbasket.

Speaking of the KOS-MOS project…

Allen opened the door to the lab, a cup of coffee in his right hand, and took a quick look around. "What the…? You're all still here?" he asked, walking into the lab.

A male techie looked up at Allen and asked, "Hey, how's it going?" As an explanation of what they were doing, he said, "We're trying to pinpoint today's problem, among other things. What about you?"

"Oh, Commander Cherenkov gave me a piece of his mind earlier," Allen said, shaking his head. "It wasn't a small piece, either…"

"Ouch. Glad to see you survived," another techie said, sympathetic to Allen. "That guy's relentless."

"'You act like a bunch of college kids!' and 'What, is Vector run by a Girl Scout?'" Allen quoted, doing a rough approximation of Cherenkov's voice. "He just went on and on." Allen then walked near to where KOS-MOS was at. "Apparently, he had stuff he was going to say to the Chief _and_ to Yukari, but was forced to put it all on _me_ because he was unable to say any of it to their faces."

"Man, that's just not right," the first techie said.

"Seriously," Allen replied, going to a terminal and starting it up. "But it isn't right to have the Chief taking all the heat…" A few seconds passed as he typed. "Still… I wonder why he seemed so nervous…"

As they worked, no one saw a blue glow begin to emanate from the ports of KOS-MOS' storage unit…

* * *

Woglinde_, Bridge_

* * *

One of the bridge crew, Pollyanna the Bridge Bunny, said, "Now exiting the Asteroid Field."

The Captain, Moriyama, said, "That's excellent! Prepare to gate-jump."

Another Bridge Bunny replied, "Aye-aye, Captain. All ships entering approach."

Pollyanna reported from her console, "19 minutes, 30 seconds to column area."

The second Bridge Bunny said, "U.M.N. pulse received."

"Current Coordinates locked," a Bridge Crewman remarked. "Transfer Vector Correction to 103. Target: Athens Column."

Just as everything started looking like it was going to go smoothly… A warning signal started chiming across the Bridge.

"Captain!" the Bridge Crewman shouted, Moriyama standing upright. "The warning signal!"

"It can't be…!" Moriyama exclaimed. "Is it them?!"

"No, sir!" the Bridge Crewman replied, looking at his console. "The detection system is silent!" Looking on the other side of the Bridge, he asked, "How's it look on your side?"

Pollyanna looked over to the Crewman and shook her head. "Nothing over here, either," she replied. "You sure it's not an error?"

"No, no it's not," the Crewman said, sitting back down in his seat, squinting his eyes to look out into the distance. "What… is this…?"

"What's going on?" Captain Moriyama asked as he walked over.

"Captain, I don't think an exterior source is causing this Warning Signal," the Bridge Crewman replied.

"Then what's causing it?" Moriyama asked.

"I'll run a search," the Bridge Crewman replied as he set to work. As he typed away for a few seconds, he finally figured it out. "…I've pinpointed the anomaly. It's inside the ship, Sector Three…?!"

At that moment, the main warning systems started blaring, with the Crewman standing up in his seat and looking around for a bit. He then looked down at his console, before noticing…

"It's… KOS-MOS!"

* * *

_Sector Three Lab_

* * *

Alarms were going off in the KOS-MOS Lab, the lights having changed to a Red Emergency Glow, as the techs ran around in startled panic.

"That's impossible!" Allen exclaimed, before turning to a tech. "Hey! What the hell's going on?!"

"I don't know!" the Tech replied. "It all happened so quickly. We're checking it out right now!"

"KOS-MOS warning status, Level 1!" another tech reported. "The Bindings are off!" A countdown appeared on his screen as he slammed a fist into the keyboard. "Damn it! It's booting up on its own!"

"The countdown has started as well!" a third tech announced.

"What the hell…?!" Allen remarked, looking at KOS-MOS' storage unit. "Why all of a sudden…?"

* * *

_Shion's Room_

* * *

Shion finally got a decent night's sleep and was about to continue sleeping—

The lights went on as a warning signal went off in her room, the screen next to her bed doing the same thing.

—when she was forced to wake up.

Getting up, she looked over to the screen next to her bed, seeing a warning connected to KOS-MOS on it. Putting her glasses on and picking up the screen, she attempted to use her admin privileges to shut down the warning and put things to normal, only…

"Countdown?!" she exclaimed worriedly. "How can that be?!" Getting her coat on, she rushed to see about talking with Allen over the comm channels, but…

A computerized voice said, "Currently, we are at Emergency Level 3. This circuit is reserved for Class A and B users only. Class C users, please try your call again later."

"…Oh, come on! Why now of all times?!" Shion yelled indignantly. "Did someone activate KOS-MOS…?" Standing up, she thought, _'Wait, that's impossible. KOS-MOS isn't supposed to wake up unless I enter the activation code from this terminal… That's the fail-safe we integrated… This… This can't be happening… not again…!'_

Rushing out of her room, she was going to go to the lab, but…

A series of Blast Doors closed, cutting off direct access from the Vector Staff Quarters to the KOS-MOS Lab.

Yukari and Minato emerged from their own rooms at that moment, as well. "What's going on?" Yukari asked. "I tried to contact someone over the comm, but apparently we don't have high-enough priorities in emergency situations!"

"Same here!" Minato remarked. "What's going on, Shion-san?"

"It's really happening… It's exactly the same as the last time…" Shion said, looking at her screen still. It was at this time she registered Minato and Yukari asking her what was going on. "It's KOS-MOS, she's waking up!" At that moment, more warning sirens sounded, prompting her to yell, "Oh no! What is it now?!"

* * *

Woglinde_, Bridge_

* * *

"What is it now?!" Captain Moriyama queried.

"Detecting a large-scale Spatial Distortion ahead of us!" A Bridge Crewman reported. "An enormous mass is gating out!"

"Impossible!" Moriyama exclaimed. "We're still outside the Column Area! That's…"

"The U.M.N.'s Geodesic Structure is being breached!" the Bridge Crewman replied.

"The target…" a Bridge Bunny remarked, looking at her readings. "It appears to be interacting with the U.M.N. somehow!"

"It's being hacked?" Moriyama asked. "That's possible?!"

"Massive gravity fluctuations!" the Bridge Bunny reported. "Surface anomalies are forming in space-time!"

"Impossible!" another Bridge Crewman replied. "That defies all laws of physics!"

"Computing mass - the numbers are completely inconsistent!" another Bridge Bunny reported. "I can't get a clear reading! Whatever it is, it's huge!"

"The amplitude…!" a third Bridge Crewman called out.

"…the hell?!" a fourth Bridge Crewman exclaimed. "It's like a tidal wave! The readings are increasing! It's entering normal space!"

"_CAPTAIN!_" all the Bridge Bunnies and Bridge Crewmen called out at once as they all turned to look at him.

"Straight ahead!" the first Bridge Crewman announced. "There it is!"

Captain Moriyama snarled out a single word. "Gnosis!"

* * *

_Outer Space_

* * *

Outside the fleet of ships and dead ahead, a large group of monsters appeared, all labeled as one thing… Gnosis. While some could be akin to real animals, none of them were normal, especially since they were ethereal and impossible to hit with normal conventional weapons. The large carrier fleet of Gnosis looked like sea creatures… only, they weren't, not at all.

At the moment when they were all materialized in front of the fleet, they started firing off their occupants at the fleet of ships, making it look like they were firing off rounds of energy weapons on the A.G.W.S. and ships. While they were firing, the ships decided to shoot back, only with beam cannons to shoot down the 'weapons'.

The A.G.W.S. shot their weapons at the projectile Gnosis, only for the attacks to either miss, or go through them and not hurt them at all. At that point, a lot of Gnosis entered the ships, and through the hulls of each ship at that.

* * *

_Inside the _Woglinde

* * *

"_Shifting to Defcon 1,_" came a voice over the PA in the AGWS Hangar. "_Virgil Team, report to Sector D. Prevent the enemy forces from entering the reactor room._"

Virgil himself was still in the medbay, so the next-highest ranking member of the team took over, and the AGWS Team moved out into the ship, accompanied by Combat Realians and foot soldiers.

All throughout the ship, Gnosis stalked the halls. Realians and Humans alike took cover and tried to hide, while the soldiers opened fire.

Their guns did nothing, though, as the Gnosis swarmed and attacked them. One grabbed a soldier and lifted him high, as he tried to struggle against it, though he eventually went limp, his body turning white before it shattered into chunks of sodium. A second soldier nearby soon shared the fate of the first, his rifle being launched into the air as he shattered.

* * *

_Outer Space_

* * *

As the Gnosis were flying through the battlefield, an A.G.W.S. was looking carelessly at the swarm that was headed past it… all before one hit it, causing it to go to Boom City.

* * *

_With Shion_

* * *

"What in the world is going on?" Shion asked.

"I think the ship's been attacked and boarded," Minato remarked, seeing the spectral forms of the Gnosis. "So… those things are Gnosis…?"

"It would appear so, Minato-kun," Yukari said, feeling a reminder of the Shadows from Iwatodai, before shaking her head. It wouldn't do to be reminded of—

Suddenly, the Gnosis noticed them, one of them charging at Shion! When Shion, Minato and Yukari ended up fighting a pair of Goblin Gnosis, Shion went first, punching the one on the left before striking it with a "Stun Shock".

'_We won't be able to defeat the Gnosis unless we draw them into our world…_' Shion thought. '_There's no point in trying to fight them like this. I have to find KOS-MOS and Allen!_' Just when she was about to relay that message to Minato and Yukari, though…

Minato and Yukari held their hands out in front of them, as… Tarot Cards? …appeared to materialize in them.

"_PERSONA!_" They called out in unison, crushing the cards in their hands.

In bursts of blue flame, two beings seemed to form in front of them, a mechanical humanoid being with a harp appearing in front of Minato, and a female being apparently chained to a bull's head in front of Yukari.

The being with the harp bashed its harp against one of the Golems, causing it to dissipate, while the female being extended its arms as far as the chains would allow, a burst of wind appearing and destroying the other one.

"H… how did you…?" Shion started to ask.

Minato, looking at the area behind them, yelled, "No time! We gotta get out of here, _now_!" With that, he and Yukari dragged Shion away from the battlefield, before the next set of Goblin Gnosis appeared from behind them.

The three ran underneath a set of barrels, before coming to the crane suspending them. Yukari pressed a Big Red Button, causing the barrels to drop and explode, making a wall of flames that blocked the Gnosis' path, keeping them from pursuing.

Yukari, Minato, and Shion looked back for a moment, before continuing down the hallway.

When they made it to the area with the elevator, they stopped, seeing in horror the mess that was made by more of the Goblin Gnosis. "C-could it be the entire ship has been overtaken by Gnosis?"

"I wouldn't be surprised," Minato remarked. "In any case, we need to get to KOS-MOS and Allen pronto - Yukari and I should be able to hold them off with limited capacity with our Personas, but we can't do that all the time - we'll need to maintain a fair degree of stealth, as well."

Upon heading over to the starboard exit, Shion noticed a Partition Switch, showing the switch to Minato and Yukari as well. When they rushed to the other side of that doorway, a Goblin Gnosis noticed them, taking off after them… only for Shion to close the partition behind them.

When they were getting ready to turn past a corridor, they saw another Gnosis right in front of them, making them wonder how to get past it.

They noticed a small alcove, which they immediately ducked into, activating a console which turned on a holographic projection of… some kind of concert, the noise distracting the Gnosis and allowing them to slip by.

They passed a communications room… then had to duck into it as a Goblin in front of them noticed and advanced. Once they were in the room, they watched as it looked around for them, made a noise that could be considered as rage, then continued down the path they had come from.

"Looks like we managed to get past them," Shion remarked.

"This bunch, anyway," Minato remarked. "Anyway, we need to hurry."

The three then left the room, needing to reach the KOS-MOS lab ASAP.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

* * *

Allen slammed his hands down on the keyboard as he yelled, "Can't we stop it?!"

A tech turned to face him and exclaimed, "It's no use! It's not responding!"

A second tech reported, "KOS-MOS is starting up in Auto-Mode!"

"Huh?" Allen exclaimed, turning to face the second tech. "Wait a sec! We disabled that mode after the incident!" Upon seeing the tech shrug, he continued, "Only the Chief's terminal can enable it! Damn it! Why now…? Unless… it's reacting to… Gnosis?! Where's the Chief?!"

A third tech answered, right hand to same ear, "She should be heading this way, but the regular UNP channels are congested and I can't reach her!"

"And the emergency line?!" Allen questioned.

A fourth tech answered, "I'm trying it now!" As everyone looked at the screen where the third tech was trying to reach Shion, a ringtone was heard coming from her regular chair, prompting everyone to look at it incredulously.

Allen palmed his face and said, "Oh, great!" Suddenly…

"What happened?" Allen asked.

…the power went out.

"I don't know!" the second tech answered, walking up to Allen. "The power just suddenly…"

A glow emanated from KOS-MOS' storage unit, locks opened up on the unit, and steam issued out from vents, creating an eerie look and feel.

The pod then opened, revealing KOS-MOS within it. She extended a hand and gripped the edge, rose to a sitting position, then stepped out onto the deck.

KOS-MOS then looked around the room, as Allen and the techs backed away in fear. Not seeing Shion, she commenced a search, not finding her in her room, but finding her just leaving a communications booth, with Minato and Yukari.

Her visor shot up into her headpiece, revealing her blood red eyes as they opened, and she strode forward, as they all trembled in fear.

* * *

_Back with Shion and the others_

* * *

When the group made it to the area of the front deck, Shion said, "I can't believe they've infiltrated this far. I wonder if everyone is okay?"

They noticed the Gnosis blocking their path, but couldn't see a path past it. That was when Yukari spotted something. "Hey, there's a control console up on that ledge," she informed.

"Come on," Minato replied, as the three booked it for a ladder that lead up to the ledge. Making it to the console, they activated it, then held on for dear life as an outer hatch on the level below opened, causing air to blow out into space, sucking the Gnosis with it. Once the hatch shut and the section repressurized, they made their way back to the lower level and continued.

Eventually, they came across a soldier that requested that they get the Vaporizer Plug-in to get a car destroyed that was blocking their way, so they went to the A.G.W.S. hangar to get the Connection Gear that it goes with. After retrieving the item, they rushed to the soldier… only, he died.

They doubled back to the ledge where they'd temporarily vented the area, destroying some crates to get a Revive DX and some money, then they destroyed the car blocking their way forward, and ran into another pair of Goblin Gnosis. Here, Minato and Yukari summoned their Personas again, Yukari's unleashing another blast of wind, while Minato's blasted the other Gnosis with fire. The two Gnosis were destroyed handily, and the group continued on. Soon enough…

Shion suddenly turned to race towards a wounded man, yelling, "S-sergeant! Sergeant Swaine!"

"Y-yo… well if it isn't the lady from Vector. I r-really liked this line of work. But looks like… it's over for me…" he said, before coughing. "Ugh… o-oh, yeah, take this key… the red d-door across from me… there's a storage room only I know about. I-inside you'll find something I've squirreled away. I don't think… I'm gonna need it where I'm going… so I want you to take it."

Shion cried out in terror, "Sergeant! Hang in there, Sergeant Swaine!"

"I-I liked… being a soldier… Even though… our job is… our job is… to die…" With that, he passed on, leaving the Decoder 7 in Shion's hands.

After taking a few seconds to mourn, they used the Decoder on the door he'd indicated, entering a narrow room where they found a part that was apparently for a robot's right arm. "What in the world could this be?" Shion wondered.

"We'll need to find out later," Minato replied. "Right now, let's keep moving."

They went back to the path they were taking, destroying a small decorative structure containing two Bio Spheres before entering the next door.

* * *

_With the Virgil Team (minus Lieutenant Virgil)_

* * *

_"__Well…"_ the nominal second in command of the Virgil Team said over the comm frequencies. _"So far, there's no sign of the enemy, just a group of humans on the other side of the door."_

Every Realian got into a firing position, on the off-chance that a Gnosis got past the doors behind the humans, before they could be told not to. Eventually…

Shion, Minato, and Yukari made it out the door and down the corridor… before backpedalling slightly.

"H-hey! What's with all the guns?!" Yukari yelled.

_"__Sorry, Miss, but can't be too careful with the Gnosis around,"_ the A.G.W.S. pilot replied. _"We knew you _weren't_ Gnosis, but didn't want to take chances in case any tried to chase you. What are you doing here instead of in the shelters, anyway?"_

Shion answered for them, "Vector Industries assigned us to make an Anti-Gnosis weapon named KOS-MOS, who we're worried about, because she's turning on without my authorization! She could very well be our chance against the Gnosis, and we don't want to be without said chance!"

_"__Is that right?"_ the A.G.W.S. pilot asked over open comms. _"Alright, we'll see about getting you over there—"_

_"__Lieutenant, sir!"_ another A.G.W.S. pilot called out. _"We got Gnosis incoming!"_

_"__Dammit!"_ the lead A.G.W.S. pilot swore. _"Realian Team 1, get the Vector people to their lab! Everyone else, hold the line! Don't let them past us!"_

There was a chorus of affirmatives, and a small group of Combat Realians moved in front of Shion, Minato, and Yukari. "Let's go," the lead Realian called.

With a nod, Shion, Minato, and Yukari made their way to—

_"__Matt! Get away from the wall!"_

A Gnosis leapt out of the wall, bashing against an A.G.W.S. and destroying it, and a second one fell, as well - falling to the ground, where a Gremlin Gnosis set about fusing with it. As the machines and Realians fought the Gnosis, Shion, Minato, and Yukari made a break for it, accompanied by their Combat Realian escorts.

Soon enough, they made it over to the area where they could get to the Realian labs (after making a quick stop in a soldier's quarters to see what it had and grabbing it)...

* * *

_Bridge_

* * *

There was an explosion in front of the ship, even as Moriyama scowled at the Gnosis continuing to fire at his fleet.

"Delta Sector has gone silent!" a Bridge Bunny reported. "Fire Control Net functionality down to 20%!"

"Fire Control, what's going on down there?!" Moriyama demanded. "Take out the mother ship!"

"We can't!" a Bridge Crewman replied. "We're too close to fire the cannons!"

"There's a breach in the reactor room!" a second Bridge Bunny reported.

"Emergency Core Shutdown!" a second Bridge Crewman directed. "Switch to reserves!"

"A.G.W.S. Losses have exceeded 70%!" Pollyanna reported.

Three other ships in the formation fired their main cannons at one of the Gnosis ships. The shots had no effect, but the return fire from the Gnosis ship destroyed the offending ships.

"We've lost the _Ogetsu_!" a Bridge Crewman called out.

"Beason's Team Destroyed!" a Bridge Bunny replied.

"Our reinforcements?" Moriyama queried.

"I'm trying!" the first Bridge Crewman replied. Putting his right hand to his respective ear, he called out over the comm channels, "This is the cruiser _Woglinde_ with the 117th Marine Division! We're engaged with the Gnosis! Coordinate KX417, Y009, Z735! Requesting immediate reinforcements! Repeat!"

"Captain, it must be…" the first Bridge Bunny called out to Moriyama.

"No question about it," he said. "They're after that… thing!" As he said that, he saw the screen in front of him search for the Zohar, before a rattling hit the ship.

Pollyanna, once the shaking ceased, reported, "Logic Drive down! Fire in Section F!"

Moriyama swore, "Damn… Where's our first officer? What happened to Cherenkov?!"

Indeed, Cherenkov's chair was empty, as he ran through the corridors, wearing a spacesuit.

"LPS Overload!" the first Bridge Bunny reported. "I can't locate him!"

Three A.G.W.S. Units fired their Machine Guns at an approaching Gnosis, though it quickly destroyed them and charged straight for the Bridge.

"Defensive Perimeter breached!" the first Bridge Crewman reported. "They're heading straight for the ship!"

"No!" Moriyama exclaimed.

"Captain!" another Bridge Crewman called out, seconds before the Gnosis impacted the Bridge, killing Moriyama and all the Bridge Bunnies and Bridge Crewmen…

"Urgh… dammit!"

…except for one, the first Bridge Crewman.

"Wait… why am I still alive? In fact, how come I'm not injured?" he asked himself, noticing that the Bridge was destroyed, even the shielding was… still up?

"Well… not gonna look a gift horse in the mouth, or however that goes," he said, looking at the area. Taking a walk to the Captain's seat, he saw that Moriyama had been given a standing order from the top brass. "Huh… may as well take a look at the orders, on the off-chance they're applicable still. Let's see… huh? All soldiers are to respect the Vector Industries staff under penalty of a demotion to Crewman? And any soldier that aids in the evacuation of Vector Industries staff is to get a two rank promotion?"

Let it never be said that Douglas McNimitz, descendant of Lost Jerusalem's finest Naval commanders during the Second World War in the American part of the Allied Forces against Japan, was afraid to take opportunities and to survive at whatever cost was available within his humanity. Hurrying with the orders, he rushed towards the elevator, hoping that the Gnosis would ignore him for the time being.

He would only be luckier at the time he got through to the end of this adventure he partook in.

* * *

_Hangar Bay_

* * *

Commander Cherenkov made it to the area where the Zohar was at, before yelling to the researchers, "What's the status?"

"We've connected the main field generator and this block's sub-reactor," one of the researchers said. "It'll only hold for three minutes, but we can move this ship under power."

A second researcher said, "Bypass connection to the Logic Drive secured." Turning to face Cherenkov, he said, "You can take control from this terminal."

"That's fine. Good work," Cherenkov said, walking up to the Zohar.

"Commander, I object," the lead researcher, who had a purple X on his face, remarked. "Purging this entire block and attempting a gate jump is suicide! You know as well as I do what happens when a human body enters hyperspace unprotected."

"All that matters is that we get this to the Commander," Cherenkov replied. "We'll be at the next column area in a matter of minutes. There's no time. Get in the pod and evacuate with the others."

"But Commander, the Gnosis are swarming all over the place! We won't stand a chance even if we do evacuate! We should accompany you…"

The ship shuddered as it took another hit.

"Listen!" Cherenkov ordered. "The Gnosis are insignificant! They are nothing compared to what'll happen if _IT_ awakes! As soon as you launch the escape pod, inject yourself with 8 mg of DIG-β. You'll fall into a temporary near-death state, but that'll keep them from noticing you. Reinforcements from central command will arrive in a few hours. You must survive until then! Or my death will be for nothing!"

"Commander!" the researchers all called at once.

With that, Cherenkov lowered himself down to the floor, attempting to go out in a blaze of glory.

* * *

_With Shion and the rest_

* * *

Having fallen back to the point where Shion went drilling earlier that day, the Galaxy Federation forces fighting the Gnosis were realizing that their weapons were useless against the monsters, even as Lieutenant Junior Grade Gabe Kouth noticed one of them about to fire…

_"__An FAE?! Get out of the way!"_

Unfortunately, the blast was seen and heard moments after that order was given, knocking Shion, Minato, and Yukari to their feet… even knocking Shion's handheld computer to the ground. The majority of the forces, though…

_"__Hornst?!"_ Gabe cried out, looking at the fallen A.G.W.S. on his right. _"Lester!"_ he cried out again, looking at the unit to his left that fell. Upon seeing the advancing Gnosis, he asked, _"What… What do I do… I gotta stop them… There's gotta be a way… But how…?!"_

It was at that time when Virgil showed up, having been without a doctor to keep him in the Medbay, taking Shion's computer off the ground. "Hey, Lieutenant Gabe," he called out, getting everyone else's attention.

Upon noticing her computer in his hand, Shion cried out, "What are you doing?! Give that back!"

"Quit your whining!" Virgil retorted, keeping the computer on hand. "I'll give it right back." Turning to his subordinate, he ordered, "Lieutenant Gabe, prevent them from stopping this!"

_"__Sir?! What are you doing?! You're supposed to be in the Medbay!"_ Gabe declared.

"I gave you an order, didn't I?" Virgil countered, typing away at the terminal.

With a 'tch', Gabe followed his order, though not because he wanted to. _"Sorry, ma'ams and sir, but I've got no choice."_ With that, he held them back with his A.G.W.S., preventing them from doing anything but watch.

"Hey…" Virgil said to the Vector employees. "They're based on the 508 series, right?"

"So what if they are?!" Shion cried out in confirmation.

"It's been almost 14 years now," he said. "Since I returned from Miltia, that is. Out in the fields, I took apart so many of them to get what I was looking for. It was a lot of work, you know? What with that dual-stage protection they got and all…"

"Dual-stage…" Shion said, abject horror hitting her. "Lieutenant, you consumed their… neuro…"

"But of course," he said with a mock salute. "They were quite delicious."

_"__Sir! How could you…!"_ Gabe shot at his superior.

"That's when I found out about the control code, what I would've told you people of Vector before being hit by something," Virgil said, ignoring the outburst as he typed away. "It's quite a convenient function you put in there!" Recognizing the gasps that soon followed as a question of if he was serious, Virgil continued, "That's right. I'm going to have these marionettes hold off the Gnosis for us. Just… like… this!"

With that, the surviving Realians were forced against their will to start moving, forcing a major outburst from Shion, "Stop it! What do you think they are?! This is a clear violation of…"

"…of their rights?" Virgil asked as he finished the sentence for Shion. "That's for peacetime, lady. You think I don't know the Miltian Charter? Miltian Charter, Article Four, Paragraph 13…"

Upon Shion, Yukari, and Minato's flinches, Virgil continued, "'Weapons-Grade Realians are required to be equipped with a remotely accessible behavioral limit and self-destruct system in case of emergency or malfunction. Use of these functions will be determined by the senior officer in charge of the situation.' …am I right?"

Upon looking at the Realians, unaware of anyone that might be able to help out with the problem of Virgil, Shion and her friends were unfortunately giving Virgil the time he needed to follow through with his plan.

"Well, that time is now," he said. "And I am the conductor… I intend to make full use of my orchestra!"

At that moment, all the Realians were forced into the direction of the Gnosis to hold the monsters down… yes, _all_ of them.

"Stop it!" Shion cried out. "You have no right to play god with their lives! Using them as bombs…! I won't let you do this!"

"So whaddya gonna do about it?" Virgil countered. "Tell me, why haven't _you_ disabled that function? Sure it's factory-loaded, but you of all people shouldn't have any trouble removing it. Since you care about them so much, all it would take is a little tweak, and they'd be free as birds… And yet you don't. Why not?"

Shion looked down, forlorn, as she answered, "Because… company protocol dictate…"

Virgil got the answer he wanted, interrupting Shion and saying, "Exactly! It's protocol! In other words, you're just like me, bound by that protocol. We're the ones that give them a reason to live. Am I wrong?!"

"But I…" Shion started to say.

"That's the _difference_ between us and them! Am I wrong?!" Virgil continued. "So, why not give it to them? A meaning to their pitiful existence!"

With that, the Realians went boom, just as the door on the side the Gnosis were headed towards opened up.

As Virgil laughed at the apparent deaths of the Gnosis, Douglas yelled out, "Crewman Virgil! _Who_ gave you authorization to _murder_ your fellow soldiers?!"

They all looked back seeing Douglas approach, and Virgil remarked, "_Crewman_? What the hell are you _talking_ about?!"

"I found orders for the Captain to enforce from the top brass, Crewman Virgil, that state that all soldiers are to treat Vector Industries staff with respect under penalty of demotion to Crewman," Douglas said, a stern look on his face as he retrieved Shion's handheld computer from Virgil. "As you failed to meet that criteria for keeping your rank, you were supposed to be demoted, though it seems nobody bothered to learn that detail… or that Captain Moriyama failed to bring it up before I found the orders, after he died," he continued, giving Shion her computer back.

Virgil spluttered at that, as Shion sorrowfully took her computer back.

"So… he… we _could_ have stopped him from killing them all like that?" Yukari questioned, tears running down her cheeks at so much pointless death.

"That's right, you could have, but only if Captain Moriyama had brought it up," Douglas answered. "Now… who here served under—"

"Son of a bitch!" Virgil cried out, getting the others to see that the Gnosis didn't die like they thought.

"What the…?!" Douglas shot out, unnerved by that.

Gabe took that time to take his A.G.W.S. and block the Gnosis from continuing forward for a short time. _"I'm the second in command of the Virgil Team,"_ Gabe said over the comms. _"My name is Lieutenant Junior Grade Gabe Kouth, and I'm not afraid to lose my life!"_

"No! Get out of there _alive_, Lieutenant Commander!" Douglas shot out to Gabe.

Everyone looked at Douglas again. "Another part of those orders you found on the Captain?" Minato asked.

"Yes, indeed," Douglas answered. "I spent some time checking the comm channels before I came here, and I know that he was aiding in getting you three out of a combat situation. This enforces the second part of the orders, a two rank promotion, under directive of the top brass!"

"You won't be _giving_ my second in command that promotion if _I_ have anything to _say_ about it!" Virgil shouted as he rushed towards Douglas, intent on—

A sudden Blaster bolt connected with Virgil, summarily ending his life, but not before he thought of a young woman in his memories and thought out, '_Feb…_' With that, he was executed, though the executor was nowhere to be found.

"What the-" Minato began, looking around to see where that shot came from. "Who…?" Not seeing any sign of them, he shook his head. "Anyway, fall back! We need to get out of here!"

* * *

_Realian Maintenance lab_

* * *

Unfortunately, things weren't going to be easy, even as Gabe's A.G.W.S. fell… though it was fortunate he survived that one.

"No…" Yukari muttered, tears running down her cheeks. "No…"

"Yukari-chan?" Minato asked.

"S… so many dead…" Yukari continued, her mind drawing closer and closer to total despair. "Either by Gnosis… or thanks to that man… and… and nothing we can do stops the Gnosis… we won't be able to make it-"

There was a sound, akin to a heartbeat, followed a few seconds later by another, and Yukari's hands clenched at her chest as she dropped to her knees.

"Yukari-chan!" Minato called out as he ran to her side, kneeling next to her. "A… are you alright?"

At that point, a crack seemed to form on her left arm, a bit of flesh crumbling away to reveal crackling purple energy underneath. She looked down at the crack, and her eyes widened in horror. "No… this can't be…"

"Yukari-chan!" Minato cried out, despair nearly getting to him, before he squashed it. "Don't give up hope! We _have_ to get home! Have hope that we'll make it out of here alright and _alive_!"

She looked up at him, as the cracks began spreading. "Minato-kun…" she whispered. "I… I'm trying, but…"

"If you can't hope just for yourself, have hope in me, as well!" Minato begged. "I… I can't lose you, Yukari-chan!" At this point, it didn't matter where these feelings came from. He knew what they were, and he felt them with all of his heart. "Yukari… Aishiteru!" He then claimed her lips with his own.

Yukari's eyes widened in shock, then hardened as resolve set in. She felt the same way as he did, origins of her feelings be damned, and she wasn't going to let this separate them so soon! She could feel something trying to break out of her, but she focused on hopeful thoughts - Hope that she would survive this. Hope that she would make it back to Iwatodai with Minato.

And Hope that they would have many long years together.

As that last thought ran through her mind, her body began to glow with a golden light as the cracks mended themselves, power flowing through her body as she suppressed the Phantom within her, binding it within and preventing it from escaping. This power radiated outward from her, blocking Gnosis from getting close as she began returning the kiss.

At that moment, while Shion was being gripped by a Gnosis, she saw Nephilim again, between her and the Gnosis, and thought, '_What's… Miss Nephilim… doing here…?_' After even more thoughts about the situation, she was ready to die, but…

A Blaster bolt similar to what shot Virgil pierced through the wall next to Shion, going at the wrist of the Gnosis, knocking it away from Shion. Upon looking up at whoever saved her, she saw the wall break apart in a hole, letting in…

"KOS-MOS…?!" Shion breathed out.

KOS-MOS charged the Gnosis, doing a somersault and launching into the air, backflipping before coming down and kicking the Gnosis. It pushed the Gnosis away, but did no damage. Her right arm then changed to a cannon, shooting at the Gnosis, though it still did no damage.

"Chief!" Allen called out as he ran through the hole in the wall KOS-MOS left behind. "Minato! Yukari! You three alright?"

"A-Allen…?!" Shion breathed in question. "What are _you_ doing here?!"

Minato and Yukari turned to face Allen, breaking off from their kiss, and simply nodded.

"KOS-MOS helped everyone escape. They're all on the training ship," Allen answered. "Now we need to get you three out of here."

"KOS-MOS?!" Shion asked.

KOS-MOS stood between the Gnosis and the Vector Employees. As the Gnosis began to advance once more, a visor dropped over KOS-MOS' eyes.

"What? The Hilbert Effect?!" Shion queried, just seconds before KOS-MOS let out a large pulse of bluish energy that spread through the _Woglinde_ and then past it, as it spread almost throughout the entire battlefield.

The Gnosis charged again, but was interrupted by three shots from KOS-MOS' arm cannon, which destroyed the Gnosis. She then charged an approaching Goblin-type, dodging a punch from it and then swiping it with her right arm, which had become a blade, destroying that Gnosis. She then leapt into the air and punched another Goblin-type with enough force to destroy _it_.

"What the…?!" Douglas breathed out. "Is _that_ really KOS-MOS?!"

"KOS-MOS!" Shion cried out, about to take more than two steps towards her creation when another Goblin fell down on top of 'her'. However…

KOS-MOS' blade shot through the skull of the Goblin and sliced down the head, causing it to go boom. Standing upright, KOS-MOS walked over to Shion, Allen right next to the Chief Engineer.

"I don't believe it," Allen said, in awe of the Android.

While Shion and KOS-MOS stared at one another, Minato and Yukari soon noticed that there were more Gnosis headed their way, so they shouted out, "LOOK OUT!"

KOS-MOS managed to materialize her gatling guns to be held by her hands, spinning around to fight the Gnosis headed their way, bullets spraying towards them. After about 15 seconds, the enemy forces died, leaving smoking corpses in their place.

"Shion," KOS-MOS said, getting their attention.

Shion looked at her creation and asked, "Uh… yes?"

Pointing the gatling gun in her right hand to the starboard door, KOS-MOS said, "We will now proceed to hangar one." After hearing the confusion in the voices of the Vector Employees, she elaborated, "There is a 99.998% probability that the Gnosis' target is the object stored in that hangar. My assigned duties are to verify and preserve the integrity of that object and to protect the Vector staff members."

"Uh, but… I…" Shion said, confused.

"Life pods are located on the second level of the hangar," KOS-MOS continued. "Please use one to escape."

"KOS-MOS…" Shion said, about to ask for elaboration, when…

"Ch-chief!" Allen called out, alerting them to the A.G.W.S. that was absorbed by the Gnosis of the Gremlin type… the Cyclops.

As they got ready to fight, Yukari and Minato stepping up alongside Shion and KOS-MOS even as Douglas and Gabe did the same thing, a glowing blue butterfly flew into the room and landed on Yukari's shoulder.

* * *

_Platform of the In-between_

* * *

Yukari found herself back where she had first met Philemon, who stood before her once more. "What is it?" she asked. "I'm needing to fight alongside Minato now!"

"A moment, please," Philemon answered. "You have just managed to regain your ability to use your Persona, but you have also gained a valuable asset to your ability to fight. You have become a Kamen Rider, if you will." Upon seeing Yukari's eyes bug out, he continued, "Indeed, you need the Driver and a few rings to get started, but it will be easier done than said." Manifesting a belt and some rings, he said, "Take these with you. You will know what to do with them once you put them on."

"Alright…" Yukari said, before she took the belt and rings. Putting on the belt, she realized it was her Driver, just as she put on her own Driver On Ring, as well as what seemed to be the starting ring! Moving her hand to activate the Henshin, the Driver called out, "**_DRIVER ON, PLEASE! SHABADOOBIE TOUCH TO HENSHIN! SHABADOOBIE TOUCH TO HENSHIN! SHABADOOBIE TOUCH TO HENSHIN!_**"

"Henshin!" Yukari called out, putting the starting ring on the Driver.

"**_TRICERATOPS, PLEASE!_**" the Driver called out, starting Yukari's transformation as a pink Magic Circle appeared above her and descending, her outfit forming as it passed over her. The outfit was in the form of a pink and dark red color scheme, with pink on the inside of the dark red coat, in the starting form that looked like a typical Kamen Rider outfit… only with protrusions that looked like they belonged to a Triceratops. The protrusions were in the same position that a regular Triceratops would have its horns and the back of its head that protected the neck.

Once she had finished transforming, Philemon remarked, "Now you can fight the same way as Nayuki Kinomoto, but with your own unique style. Good luck, young Rider."

There was then a flash as she left the platform, and returned to the conscious realm.

* * *

_Realian Maintenance lab_

* * *

Everyone turned to look at Yukari as a brief flash covered her, leaving her in her Rider garb as the butterfly flew away.

"Yukari…?" Minato asked. "What…?"

"I'll explain later," she replied. "Let's take care of this thing now!"

And so the fight began, Gabe and Douglas opening fire with their machine guns on the Gnosis as Shion unleashed a Firecracker and Cherry Bomb from her M.W.S., Minato unleashed Orpheus, which Bashed the Cyclops with its harp, and Yukari and KOS-MOS both closed in and delivered devastating kicks. The Cyclops staggered from all the hits, but still returned fire with its own weapon - though the fact that it was off-balance allowed them all to dodge its attack. Yukari then switched her Driver On Ring for one of her other two rings, and ran it over her Driver after switching it to Right Hand input.

"**_CONNECT, PLEASE!_**" the Driver called as a Magic Circle appeared in front of her, and she stuck her hand into it and pulled out the WizarSwordGun and switched it into Gun Mode, peppering the Cyclops with Silver Bullets. Shion then unleashed a Spell Ray, and KOS-MOS a blast from her R-Cannon, Douglas and Gabe continued unleashing machine gun fire, while Minato had Orpheus use an Agi skill for a blast of fire as Yukari summoned her Persona, Io, for a Garu kill that finished up the Cyclops.

When the battle ended, everyone rushed out of the Realian Maintenance lab towards the starboard hallway, with KOS-MOS walking up to the door at a leisurely pace. When 'she' noticed some Gnosis entering the lab, two Goblins and a Golem, 'she' fired a Blaster Bolt at the window… effectively killing them and sucking anything not out of range into empty space, all before the door closed between the room and 'her', keeping the Anti-Gnosis weapon safe.

Once they were out of the hall, Allen remarked, "Really, Chief, I feel like I'm going to have a heart attack just watching you." He then handed her a capsule. "Also, here's the prototype A.G.W.S. VX-10000 transport capsule that HQ sent over. At least it's better than nothing. You know how to use it, right?"

After a moment of pondering, Shion replied, "Of course! Just took a little while to remember with everything that's going on."

"Please be more careful, okay?" Allen asked. "I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you…"

"What?" Shion asked, having been preoccupied earlier. "Did you say something?"

"Nothing," Allen replied with a sigh. "Let's go! Let's find the escape pods quickly, and get out of here!"

On the way over to the hangar, the group decided to see about getting some much needed items, including the item that was behind either of the red doors remaining. After a lot of searching, they finally found the decoder for door number 18, which provided them with the equipment they needed from inside the Segment 18 door… a Coat of Lightning.

After that bit of treasure hunting, they headed over to the hangar, stopping to get treasure along the way. Eventually…

* * *

_Hangar One_

* * *

Commander Cherenkov was typing at the terminal from earlier, doing everything he could to get it to work right, when he got failure messages going. "Damn it!" he said. "Not now!" Slamming a fist to the keyboard, he shouted, "Will my death be for nothing?"

Shion ran into the hangar while Allen, Gabe, Douglas, and Minato fired on the Gnosis tailing them with rifles, and KOS-MOS and Yukari laid into them up close. As Shion entered the Hangar, she looked over to the escape pods and saw three left - with each able to hold two people each, that left room for six people, and since KOS-MOS didn't need air, that meant they'd be good.

She turned back around to inform them about the pods, when she saw Cherenkov at the Terminal. "Commander Cherenkov?" she asked.

"What the…?!" Cherenkov asked, incredulously. "What are you people doing here?!" Just when he was about to tell them off for being here, he saw the gunmen backing away from the Manticore-type Gnosis, shooting them down and effectively staying alive. "…Gnosis!" he cried out. That was when he saw KOS-MOS and Yukari walk into the hangar, holding guns at the ready. "So… it's functional…" he said of KOS-MOS. "But what's that?" he asked of Yukari, thinking she was an android.

Cherenkov was ignored as the group continued fighting Gnosis. Even Shion picked up a Rifle and started shooting.

Then a group of Goblin-type Gnosis dropped in behind her, and Yukari noticed them at the same time Shion did, and charged in while switching her WizarSwordGun to Sword Mode. A midair backflip brought her into the midst of the Goblins, as she sliced them up with her sword, defeating them in seconds, even as everyone else finished the last of the Manticore-types.

"Well… that was a thing," Minato remarked. "At least we didn't have any casualties…"

"Yeah, that's right," Douglas said. "Don't want to know what would happen… if… wait a minute!" Turning to face Cherenkov, he yelled, "Commander Cherenkov, where _were_ you before the Bridge was destroyed?!"

"What th- you were on the bridge!" Cherenkov retorted, making everyone else look at Douglas in confusion. "How did _you_ survive the Bridge being destroyed by whatever it was?!"

"No clue, but I'm not looking a gift horse in the mouth," he remarked. "Especially when the bridge was rammed by a kamikaze Gnosis." He shook his head, then looked at Cherenkov again. "That doesn't answer my question, though! Why weren't you on the Bridge?!"

"I… think we might have bigger problems…" Minato remarked, as a giant Gnosis that was primarily red-colored floated up to their level, flanked by two smaller purple-blue Gnosis.

At that time, Shion got into her A.G.W.S. to take out the bigger of the Gnosis, labeled as the Minotaur. Seeing that happen, Douglas and Gabe helped to shoot down the other two Gnosis, labeled as Sky Fish, with their machine guns, while—

A whole horde of Sky Fish appeared, followed by another Minotaur!

"Okay, that's definitely not good," Minato remarked. "Yukari, think you can handle the smaller ones?"

"Should be able to," Yukari remarked. "Between Io and my new powers as a Magic User/Rider, I think I can handle them well enough. Think you can handle the big ones?"

"We'll do fine," Minato replied. "Kick their butts."

She nodded, then leapt into the fray, summoning Io to unleash a blast of wind, destroying one Sky Fish, before blasting another couple with bullets from her WizarSwordGun. As she went to work, also using Io's powers to keep herself airborne, the others unloaded on the second Minotaur while Shion engaged the first with KOS-MOS' help.

The Gnosis managed to get some shots in, but Yukari was just too nimble for the Sky Fish and the others were quick to help each other out with items and Ether skills if they got hurt.

After about three minutes, Yukari finally finished off the last of the Sky Fish, but noticed that the others were still having a bit of a hard time against the two Minotaurs. Choosing to go after the one engaging Minato, Gabe, and Douglas, she put away the WizarSwordGun and switched her Connect Ring for another Ring, which she placed over her Driver.

"**_CHOI NE! KICK STRIKE! SAIKO!_**" the Driver called out as a Magic Circle formed underneath her, and she spun around once for the magic to distribute evenly around her legs, especially her right foot, which became shrouded in energy as she backflipped, then began descending rapidly, right leg fully extended as she slammed into, then through, the Minotaur, the giant Gnosis vanishing into dust as she landed next to Minato. Meanwhile, an R-Cannon shot from KOS-MOS finished off the other Minotaur.

Eventually, the remaining Gnosis in the hangar started to swarm the Zohar, even though they kept on being picked off one by one. Despite that, they succeeded in their task, and lifted the object into Hyperspace… with everyone looking in shock that they lost the item, unless you count KOS-MOS, who doesn't feel emotions.

* * *

_Outer Space_

* * *

Explosions shook the _Woglinde_, making the people inside it still alive worry for their lives, especially as Cherenkov somehow got rescued by KOS-MOS… just as the ship went up into flames and went boom. The Gnosis in the area stayed still… before they recalled all their units and left.

KOS-MOS, meanwhile, mouthed a few things that Cherenkov couldn't hear… which translated into a one-sided conversation that said "…Affirmative. The target object was not the Original… Affirmative. It was an Emulator. …Roger. Upon deploying tracking device, I will depart immediately. As originally planned, I will head for Second Miltia." With that, 'she' deployed a tracking device that was fired onto a leaving Gnosis carrier, just as they gated out. Almost immediately after that…

Another ship entered the area, prompting KOS-MOS to go after it, to make sure they got her allies on board.

* * *

**Takeshi Yamato: Well, there we have it - KOS-MOS is up, Shion has a Persona (even if she hasn't used it yet), and Yukari has not only developed and suppressed an Inner Phantom, she's also starting to learn to use Magic. :D**

**Was not really expecting what happened with Douglas, Gabe, and Virgil, though - but I am glad Virgil got his. :)**

**Anyway, as for Yukari's Rider outfit lacking a lot of details… well… suffice to say we don't have ideas for those details ourselves - all we know is that Yukari's transformations are going to be animal-based, her default form is based on a Triceratops, and that her transformations will be full suit (similar to Wizard's). If anyone has any ideas, or has enough confidence in their skills to try ****_drawing_**** Yukari as Kamen Rider Sage, please let us know.**

**So, Please Review both this and the Main Story, and we'll see you all next time! :D**


	4. Chapter 3

**Xamusel: Okay, hopefully you all liked what we did in the previous chapter, if only because we managed to successfully get past the part of the game before we reach the ****_Elsa_**** arriving. Now that this is at the main point of divergence… we'll be more than ready for what comes ahead.**

**Also, there is a Lemon near the end of this chapter, which is why the rating has been raised to M. You have been warned.**

**Anyway, here we go, on to the story ahead!**

* * *

Chapter 3: Surprise!

* * *

_Bridge of the _Elsa

* * *

"What a mess…" the captain said, looking at the wreckage of the _Woglinde_. "Whoever it was, they sure went all out. You think there's anything left out there?" Turning to face one of his fellows, he said, "Hey, Tony! How long before the Federation gets here?"

Tony, from his station at the helm, answered, "Well, let's see… The last SOS went out a half-an-hour ago, so… We've probably got at least three hours, right? No sign of any nearby ships, either." Turning to the sensor operator, he asked, "Right, Hammer?"

"Yep," Hammer answered, arms behind his head. "We're the only ship within a 5,000 light-year radius."

"Alright…" the captain said, before he uncrossed his legs and stomped the left one on the ground, taking his lit cigarette and squishing it out. "That should be enough. Let's grab anything that looks salvageable."

"You know, captain," Hammer said. "I realize the deadline for paying back Master Gaignun is right around the corner, but don't you think this is a little risky? If the Feds find out, we'll be lucky to get 10 years."

"That's _if_ they find out," the captain replied. "You know the Feds aren't gonna patrol all the way out here in the middle of nowhere."

"Well… I just don't like the idea of feeding off the dead," Hammer stated. "I mean, what are we, space jackals? Vultures? Hyenas?"

Suddenly, he got a boot to the back of his chair, in the area of his head… courtesy of the captain, who was sitting right behind him. "Ya moron! What kinda metaphor is that?" the captain questioned. "Don't be comparing us to extinct animals! You'll jinx us! We're recyclers, dammit. Environmentally-friendly space recyclers."

Tony turned to look at the captain and reminded, "Master Gaignun told us to stay away from any 'side jobs,' remember? He said it hurts the Foundation's image." He paused. "I don't know…" At that moment, his console went off, showing him…

"Whoa! I have a wrecked ship on cameras, directly at three o'clock! Looks like a Ganymede class…"

"Nice work there, Tony," the captain said. "Good thing we were tapping the U.M.N. emergency channel… Come on, we're pulling in. Get us close."

Looking forward, Hammer said, "Yep, we're vultures…"

"What was that?!" the captain leaned in forward and questioned of Hammer's word choice.

As they turned to their starboard side, Hammer was typing up and saying, "Spectrum matches up perfectly. It's a geocrystal."

The captain nodded and said, "All right! Not bad. Let's start with that one."

As they got closer to it, Tony was looking clearer, seeing… a body floating in space?

Turning to face Hammer, Tony shouted, "That's not a geocrystal, you idiot! It's a corpse."

"Well, what'd you expect," the captain asked in reply. "This is a battlefield. It's no big deal. Don't bother wasting fuel. Just keep going and let it bounce off."

Tony stood up and turned around to face the captain, arguing, "You're kidding, right? My dead grandma told me to be respectful of the dead. Sorry, but I don't want any bad karma. You do it, captain."

"Ya moron…" the captain shot back. "What, is that your grandfather out there? Don't be ridiculous! Just shut up and keep moving."

"Man, not again," Tony remarked, rubbing the back of his head. "Captain, this is so typical of you… Making us do all the dirty work!"

As they were arguing, the 'corpse' drifted over towards the ship, and ended up lodged against the rearmost portside window.

"Ya moron!" the captain yelled. "What the hell are ya doing? I said bounce it off!"

"Well, don't look at me!" Tony yelled back. "It got stuck on its own. It's not my fault!"

"Whatever," the captain replied. "Just get rid of it."

"Heeey, it's a girl," Hammer muttered. "She might be cute, you know?" He then let out a little giggle…

"Heh, heh my ass, you sicko!" the captain snarled at him. "Who the hell cares how she looks? She's dead!"

"Exactly," Tony remarked. "Besides, she's facing the other way. It's a shame we can't meet face to face…"

As if that was a cue, the 'corpse' turned her head to face them, revealing her blood red eyes. As they all stepped back a bit in shock, she moved to a standing position on the window frame, and placed her hands on the window itself. _"Please open your communications line,"_ she said. _"I need to speak with you. Frequency 2020."_

Hammer, due to being shocked by seeing the 'corpse' talk through the window, cried out, "A talking corpse!"

"Ya moron!" the captain shot out, while looking at the 'corpse'. "Open your eyes! That ain't no corpse!"

"This ain't happening," Tony muttered to himself, his hands clenched together as if in prayer, "this ain't happening…"

"It's a… Realian, or a cyborg," the captain said to calm Hammer down. "Something like that."

"B-but I've never heard of a Realian that can operate out in space?!" Hammer stammered out.

"Well…" the captain said, on a different track. "It's probably a military robot or something. Just open the channel." As Hammer did just that, the captain turned to face their guest and said, "Ahem… I am Captain Matthews of the tramp freighter _Elsa_. We received your SOS signal earlier. It happened to be within range of our navigational path, so we rushed here to your rescue…"

"Huh?" Hammer asked. "Rescue?!"

He was promptly kicked in the head by Captain Matthews, who then turned back to the robot. "So… is there anything we can do to assist you?"

Rubbing the back of his head while turning to face Captain Matthews, Hammer asked in a hushed tone, "What do you mean, rescue? What about our side job?"

With a further hushed tone, Matthews answered, "Relax, ya moron. We're gonna grab what we can while taking care of this little rescue. With this mess, I bet there's no one left alive, anyway."

_"__I will make this brief,"_ the robot said, in answer to Matthews' question of what they could do to assist. _"I request that you gate jump to Second Miltia immediately."_

"Say what?" Matthews asked incredulously. "Oh, yeah, keep dreaming, sweetheart! We can't leave yet, we've still got work to do. And besides… Second Miltia? Have you any idea how much it would cost to travel that far?"

_"__There is no need for concern,"_ the robot answered. _"We will cover all U.M.N. gate fees incurred."_

"You expect us to believe that?" Matthews asked. "Even if that were true, we've got other business to attend to right now. We don't have that kind of time."

_"__My time is limited as well,"_ the robot said. _"Failure to comply will result in the destruction of this window."_

"Go ahead, give it a try!" Matthews remarked. "The _Elsa's_ forward window can withstand direct hits from debris as big as 6mm! A punch from a girlie like you wouldn't even dent-"

As Matthews was speaking, energy charged in the robot as it raised its right hand to punch the window, which was not really a forward window to begin with… more like a portside window that was at the bridge. In any case, the window got punched, and it got huge cracks in it. _"One more strike, and this window will shatter,"_ the robot supplied. _"It appears that none of you are wearing space suits. Keep in mind that I am making this proposal with goodwill. I could just as easily toss you out into space and take over the ship."_

As she reared back for another punch, Matthews yelled out, "…Daahhh! Okay, okay! We'll do it, we'll do it… Don't be so rash."

_"__Had you chosen to accommodate me from the onset, we would have saved one minute, 45 seconds,"_ the robot said. _"I am coming on board now. Please open the cargo bay."_

Matthews was making hand gestures behind his back at Tony as he replied, "Ah… right."

The robot said, as if remembering something, _"One more thing."_

"W… uh, what?" Matthews asked, as Tony's hands twitched towards the throttle…

_"__Do not accelerate in an attempt to knock me off,"_ the robot said. _"If you do so, I will destroy the engine, and the entire ship with it."_

Hammer nodded, even as Matthews growled, and said, "She's got us read…"

"Shut up!" Matthews growled at Hammer, as the robot kicked off the window, heading for the entrance hatch.

A fair bit later, the robot had entered the bridge, and was talking with Matthews when Hammer got something on his console. "Huh? Hey, Captain," he said. "I've got someone on the open channel."

"Who could it be?" Matthews asked. "Survivors?"

"I dunno," Hammer said. "Hold on, I'll put it on the speakers."

As soon as he did so, a voice could be heard through the speakers, though with poor quality. _"…Hello! Is anybody out there?!"_

* * *

_Escape Pods of the destroyed _Woglinde_, Shion and company_

* * *

In the first of the three escape pods, Cherenkov still clinging to it, Allen yelled over his comm terminal, "Hello? Anyone? If anyone is scanning this channel, please help!" He then looked at the seat ahead of him and said, "Come on, Chief, you give it a try,"

"Don't worry, Allen," Shion said, looking over her shoulder to Allen. "A rescue ship will come for us eventually. I'm more concerned about KOS-MOS. Now where could she be…"

"How would I know?" Allen asked. "Besides, we're not out of the woods yet. I mean, the Gnosis might still be around…"

"I'm not worried about that right now," Shion said. "We have to retrieve KOS-MOS…"

"Forget about KOS-MOS!" Allen replied. "What about us? Ahh… If I'd have known this was gonna happen I wouldn't have let everyone else go first… Maybe they're still around… you think?"

"I don't believe you!" Shion retorted angrily. "Allen… How can you be so insensitive? After all that's happened…"

* * *

_Back on the bridge of the _Elsa

* * *

_"__What do you mean?"_ came the reply, which was heard over the speakers as the _Elsa_ crew heard the entire conversation. _"Of course I'm traumatized! Chief, that was really uncalled for… Do you think that I'm an emotionless android?! For you to even think that is the most traumatizing thing of all…"_

_"__Oh, I never said anything like that!"_ Shion's voice was heard.

_"__You just did!"_ Allen replied. "_You think I'm an android, don't you!_"

_"__Chief, Allen, you're being broadcasted over the radio waves,"_ a third voice said from one of the other escape pods. _"Could you have your lover's spat later?"_

_"__It's not a lover's spat!"_ Shion and Allen denied simultaneously.

"What the hell?" Matthews asked Hammer, who shrugged at the question.

At that point, KOS-MOS walked over and pressed a button,

"H-Hey?!" Matthews said indignantly.

"Shion," KOS-MOS said, getting the attention of the people in the escape pods.

_"…__KOS-MOS?!"_ Shion asked, as an image of the _Elsa's_ bridge appeared on her monitor, and an image of her in the pod appeared on the Bridge of the _Elsa_. _"KOS-MOS, is that you?! Where are you right now?!"_

"I am onboard a civilian ship passing through the area," KOS-MOS explained. "Please remain at your current locale. I'll have these gentlemen come and get the three escape pods brought on board with me."

_"__Alright,"_ Shion replied. _"We'll be waiting for you."_

"Now, just wait a second!" Matthews shouted, turning to face KOS-MOS. "Why the hell are we going to help the people in the escape pods?! I thought—"

"Why not help them?"

KOS-MOS turned as a young boy with arabian skin, white hair, and green eyes walked onto the Bridge, stretching his arms.

"Oh, chaos, you're up," Matthews remarked.

"With all this racket… who could sleep?" he replied.

"Well, perhaps you should help me convince this 'KOS-MOS' to let us leave the escape pods to other rescue crew, then," Matthews said, sighing tiredly.

"The people on those three pods proved a significant asset," KOS-MOS remarked. "Retrieving them will be beneficial to us, especially if we encounter combat."

"I happen to be inclined to believe our guest," chaos said, nodding his head in her direction. Turning his head in Matthews' direction, he added, "Still, it's your call, captain. I think we should rescue them."

"Well, if you say so…" Matthews replied. "Sure, I don't mind."

"Tony?" chaos asked, and Tony nodded, before directing the _Elsa_ towards the three escape pods.

Later, the group of seven, counting Cherenkov, made it to the bridge, with Shion bowing and saying, "Excuse us…"

They all walked up, with Shion standing in front of Matthews. "Um… we…"

"I'm Captain Matthews," Matthews replied, holding out his hand.

Taking the hand, Shion said, "My name is Shion Uzuki, and I'm from Vector Industries First R&amp;D Division." Turning her head to indicate the other Vector employees, she said, "These are my co-workers, Allen Ridgeley, Minato Arisato, and Yukari Takeba, who also work in the same division. We do apologize for all the trouble our errant KOS-MOS may have caused you." Turning her head to face the other employees, she said, "C'mon everyone! Show them your gratitude."

"Oh, uh, right," Allen replied, with nods from the other two. "Thank you very much for rescuing us - if it wasn't for you, I don't know what would have happened to us, thanks to our stubborn boss here-argh!" That last bit was from Shion stomping on his foot.

"Yeah, thanks for rescuing us," Minato replied. "Food and water supplies aside, those pods were rather cramped…"

"Agreed," Yukari replied, then her cheeks turned pink as a thought entered her mind, one that she wasn't really intending to share with anyone but Minato.

"You oughta save your thanks for chaos over there and your robot," Matthews said, looking over at the silver-haired boy. "We were just gonna leave you and fly on out of here."

"Oh… I see…" Shion said with a nod. Walking over to chaos, she picked up his left hand with both of hers and said, "Thank you… chaos."

"No, don't mention it," chaos said, shaking his head. "After all, we all need a little help sometimes."

"Yeah…" Matthews added. "He often saves our hides, too, so… we can't turn him down when he asks for a favor."

"Besides, your friend requested you come aboard, anyway," chaos finished. "In fact, I had only just come to the bridge when she made the request, and I was inclined to help out, in any way possible."

"I see…" Shion replied. "That reminds me…" she turned to KOS-MOS. "Thanks for helping pick us up, KOS-MOS, but you should have contacted us sooner! I was worried about you!"

"My apologies, Shion," KOS-MOS said, nodding all the while. "However, I needed to get to Second Miltia ASAP, but not without taking you back to HQ."

"Oh, _really_?" Shion questioned. "What _were_ the orders from HQ?"

"Captain Matthews," KOS-MOS replied, ignoring the question and turning to the captain. "May I use the Maintenance Lab next to the hangar?"

"Just a second, KOS-MOS…?" Shion started to say.

"Yeah, sure," Matthews answered. "What for?"

"KOS-MOS!" Shion said, starting to get irritated.

"Due to the limitations of the test-use condenser, my energy reserves are almost depleted," KOS-MOS answered. "I wish to receive a co-generator bypass in order to replenish them."

"Hey!" Shion demanded. "What is wrong with you? Answer me, KOS-MOS!"

"So, you'll cover the bill, right?" Matthews asked.

"Yes," KOS-MOS answered.

"KOS-MO…" Shion was going to continue, but…

"Shion," KOS-MOS interrupted.

"Y… yes?" Shion asked, wondering what KOS-MOS wanted.

"My sensors appear to be malfunctioning," KOS-MOS answered. "Please adjust them before we disembark at our destination… preferably soon at the Maintenance Lab."

"Wha…?" Shion replied, turning away as she crossed her arms. "Why should I…?"

"Please, Shion," KOS-MOS said. Walking over to said Lab, 'she' said, "I will speak with you there in private." With that, the door opened and closed, having let KOS-MOS through.

Shion paused for a moment. "I just can't understand her sometimes…" she muttered.

"Hey, don't worry about it," Douglas said, for the first time that meet and greet. "It _can_ be hard to understand someone that you just met, and this might be along those lines in context." Upon seeing the looks from the crew of the _Elsa_, he coughed into his hand and said, "My name is Douglas McNimitz. I _was_ with the Galaxy Federation ship _Woglinde_ before she was shot down… stupid kamikaze Gnosis."

"Ah," Matthews replied. "Well, good to see you survived. You heading to Second Miltia, too, or do you have anywhere else you want to go? If it's on the way, we might be able to drop you off…"

"Actually, my girlfriend's on Second Miltia, and I wanted to see her before I was assigned elsewhere," Douglas answered. "Besides which, my parents wanted me to pop the question to her… wouldn't do to have them breathing down my neck if they found out I survived but got out of being responsible for my kids with her."

Matthews' eyes widened slightly at that piece of news, but nodded. "Alright, guess that works," he said, before turning to Gabe and Cherenkov. "And what about you two?"

"Well, I—" Cherenkov started to say.

"We're headed for Second Miltia, too," Gabe said. "We'd appreciate the lift to there."

"Gotcha," Matthews replied. "Well, if you're all going to the same place, that'll make things easier…"

"Actually," Cherenkov spoke up, walking over to Matthews. "Any chance of stopping at Senir?"

"Huh?" the other military officials from the _Woglinde_ got out.

"Well, that's en route on the column…" Matthews remarked. "About three or so days from Atalya. If that's your destination, sure, I can do that."

"I see," Cherenkov said. "And the fee…?"

"Today just ain't my day," Matthews replied. "And getting greedy now won't do me any good. I'll just put it on the tab."

"I appreciate it," Cherenkov answered.

"Ah, don't mention it," Matthews remarked. "You're a Marine. Let's just chalk it up to my bit of charity for the Corps."

"Commander Cherenkov, you need to answer my question from—" Douglas started to say, walking up to the other man…

…when a Golem-type Gnosis landed on the portside window of the bridge.

"G, G, Gn, Gno, Gno…" Hammer stuttered as he slowly backed away from the window.

"Gnosis!" Shion exclaimed.

"I knew it!" Allen snarled. "A couple of them _were_ still lurking around!"

"This isn't good!" Yukari remarked as she donned her Driver On and Triceratops Style Rings.

At that moment, the Golem-type Gnosis phased right on through the window, getting Hammer to yell, "It's coming in!"

As Cherenkov pulled out his handgun and fired at the Gnosis, the others in the area right behind him ducked, except for the military trained, Minato, and Yukari. Upon seeing the shots having no effect on the Golem-type, Cherenkov showed horror on his face, especially when it was about to kill him by crushing his esophagus.

"chaos!" Matthews called out, even as the Gnosis lifted Cherenkov into the air, the soldier's feet starting to turn white.

"I know," chaos replied, as he started walking towards the Gnosis.

"chaos!" Shion cried out, worried for him.

chaos turned and looked at her. "It's okay," he replied, as the Golem-type raised an arm to strike him-

-and simply stopped as he raised his hand.

Shion, Minato, and Yukari looked on in shock, even as chaos reached up and tapped the Gnosis with a finger, causing it to dissolve into the air.

Cherenkov dropped to the ground, gasping for breath.

Shion simply looked on in shock and awe as Cherenkov was looked over by Hammer. "The Gnosis…!"

"What did he just… do?" Allen asked aloud.

Matthews answered the question on everyone's mind, saying, "Well, that's what I meant when I said he looks out for us."

"Looks out for you?!" Shion asked Matthews. "How did he just do that? I've never heard of a human that can defeat Gnosis…"

chaos walked over to Shion and answered, "There are those who draw well, and those who run fast. Hammer's navigational skills are top-notch, and his knowledge of the Net is vast. Tony's helmsmanship skills are unrivaled. No one even comes close. ...Or so he claims. The Captain… Well, no one holds a greater amount of debt than the Captain."

"Ahh, yes…" Matthews said, before the situation caught up with him. "Hey, wait a second!"

chaos turned back to Shion. "I believe that everyone has at least one skill that they excel in over all others," he told her. "It's something that defines who they are. Shion… What is it that defines you?"

"Huh?" Shion got out. "Me? Well, I…"

"It's the same for me," chaos replied. "It's just something I can do."

"Yup," Tony remarked. "That's all there is to it."

"Ah…" Shion said, having gotten the answer she needed. "I see. Right… I think I get it! It sort of makes sense when you put it that way."

"Yep, that's how it is," Hammer said.

"That's all th… What the…?" Allen exclaimed. "How can you be convinced by that?! That was a Gnosis, Chief! A Gnosis!"

Having turned to face Matthews, chaos said, "Well, Captain, it seems we need to get going before she throws us off the ship. The girl seems to be a stickler for schedules and all."

"Man, oh man… so much for my grandiose plans," Matthews remarked. "After this job, I was supposed to pay off my debts, then head to Keltia to see the Seraphim Sisters live in concert…"

"Ah, you owe Master Gaignun too much to be able to pay it all off," Tony countered, getting Matthews' attention. "And man, the Seraphim Sisters again? You're really hot for them, aren't you?"

"Captain… You don't actually have to go all the way out to Keltia," Hammer said, getting his boss's attention. "Why don't you just connect to the U.M.N. and watch it later?"

"Ya moron," Matthews snapped. "Getting a video feed is nothing compared to immersing yourself in the real thing! There's a world of difference between the two! It's all about reality."

"Who are you kidding, it's all the same!" Tony countered again. "Your brain can't tell the difference."

"Why you… hurry up and take us outta here!" Matthews snapped.

"All right," Tony replied, heading down to the pilot's seat. "Roger that."

"Well, then," chaos said. "I'll take Shion and the others to their rooms."

"That's very kind of you," Shion replied with a bow.

"Thank you very much," Yukari added.

"All right, you do that," Matthews said. After a short bit of wait, he slumped and said, "Damn… Today's been one hell of a day…"

With that, the _Elsa_ moved away from the debris field, taking the passengers to their destinations.

* * *

_A few minutes later, Minato and Yukari's room_

* * *

Minato and Yukari looked around, taking in the details of the room they would share for the duration of the trip.

Originally meant as a passenger liner before being acquired by Matthews, the _Elsa_ still had quite a few rooms available for passengers. However, Minato and Yukari had opted to go for a single room as opposed to separate ones.

"Well… how lucky did we have to be to get this room?" Yukari asked. "It has a king-sized bed and everything!"

"Yeah…" Minato replied. "Only five-star hotels back in the other universe would have accommodations like this… or hotels in the Red Light Districts."

"Ugh… don't remind me," Yukari said, shuddering. "I'd rather avoid any mention of _that_ for a _long_ time!"

"Alright," Minato replied. He then paused for a moment. "Yukari… I… I'm glad you're alright…"

"Yeah…" Yukari said, nodding. "Me, too… Minato… aishiteru."

"Aishiteru, Yukari," Minato replied as he walked over to her, claiming her lips in a kiss.

Yukari moaned into the kiss, wrapping her arms around Minato's neck, pulling him further in.

Minato complied, deepening the kiss as his tongue slipped out to brush against Yukari's lips, even as his hands began to roam over her body.

Yukari's mouth opened to let Minato's tongue into her, starting a bit of a tongue of war with Minato, trying to see who would have dominance in the mouth.

As their tongues fought for dominance, Minato's hands continued roaming over Yukari's form, eventually managing to get under her garments to begin massaging her breasts.

Yukari moaned even louder in Minato's mouth, knowing her breasts were really sensitive to touch, as she began to undo his clothing.

The two broke the kiss briefly as Yukari pulled Minato's shirt off, followed by Minato pulling off Yukari's shirt, then they resumed as Minato began undoing Yukari's bra.

Upon losing the support for her breasts, Yukari blushed up a storm, given that she had a pair of DDs on this version of her body. Still, despite being one cup size higher than what her breasts were supposed to be, she rather liked how she was giving her body the right attention. Even so, she kissed Minato even more fiercely than before, especially as she pulled his pants down.

Minato groaned in pleasure as the kiss continued, even as Yukari pulled down his pants to reveal his erection. As one hand began massaging her breasts again, his other hand reached down to undo her skirt, then pull her panties down, revealing her slit. His hand then reached back to begin fondling her ass.

Yukari gasped in the kiss as she felt Minato fondling her ass, prompting her to break off from the kiss, get down on her knees, and move her mouth around his cock, sucking at it while bobbing her head back and forth on it.

Minato groaned again, both his hands having moved to Yukari's head and entangling themselves in her hair as she moved up and down on his cock. "Y… Yukari…" he groaned. "It… it feels so good…"

Yukari looked up at him from her position on the floor, mouth refusing to release its hold on his cock, before signalling with her eyes that she wanted him to penetrate her ass first. With that, she continued sucking, massaging Minato's balls with her hands.

Yukari's ministrations were proving too much, and driving Minato closer and closer to an orgasm, even as he nodded to show he understood her silent request. "Yukari… I… I'm gonna cum!" he warned.

As soon as the warning came, a large amount of semen entered Yukari's mouth, even as she kept the head inside it. Doing her absolute best to swallow it, she barely got it all down without it leaking out of her mouth, before she let Minato's erection out of her mouth.

Minato smiled down at his lover, even as she turned around and presented her ass to him, positioning herself on her hands and knees for stability. With his cock having been lubricated by her saliva, he guided it to her asshole, before starting to push it inside.

Inch by inch, Yukari felt a growing amount of pleasure enter from inside of her, especially as the erection was slowly sawing its way inside.

Minato grunted with effort as he pushed his cock into her ass, it being tight enough that it was a bit of a struggle even with the lubrication. Eventually, though, he bottomed out inside her, and then began thrusting in and out, the feel of her ass around his cock driving his pleasure up quickly.

Eventually, Yukari felt that Minato was going to release inside of her ass, just as she felt something was about to release down her pussy. In that moment, both Minato and Yukari released at the same time.

Minato gently pulled his cock out of Yukari's ass. "You up for more?" he asked her.

Nodding a worn out nod, Yukari answered, "Just… one more… time…" Turning about to get in the bed, she said, "From the front, this time."

Minato nodded. "Sounds good," he replied, as he got into the bed over her. "One more's about all I have left in me for now, too." Yukari spread her legs, and Minato guided his cock to the entrance to her pussy. "You ready for it?"

"As ready as I'll ever be, Minato," Yukari answered, giving him a nod.

Minato nodded back, and slowly pushed his cock into her pussy. He moved slowly, allowing her body to adjust as his cock filled her, but he paused slightly when he reached her hymen.

Yukari looked at Minato in expectation, before wrapping her arms around him, forcing him to give her another kiss to keep from scaring the others down the hall with her screaming from having a torn hymen.

Once she started kissing him, he pulled back and pushed all the way in, breaking past her hymen and sheathing himself all the way inside of her, as his tongue explored her mouth and his hands massaged her breasts, to help take her mind off the pain.

Yukari's mind was on the pain only for the briefest of moments, before it vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving her in the land of bliss as she moaned even more into Minato's mouth.

Minato smiled mentally as he pulled out until just the tip of his cock remained within her, before pushing back in, the sensations driving his pleasure up again. "Yukari…" he began after they broke the kiss. "You feel so tight around me…"

"Minato…" Yukari said. "You're like a drug that I can't get enough of… the good kind of drug at that…" Noticing the sensations inside her, she continued, "I… I can't hold this back for much longer…"

"N… neither can I…" Minato replied, feeling his own orgasm draw close. "L… let's cum… together!"

At that moment, they both let loose their respective orgasms, with Minato's cum shooting into Yukari's womb… and they both went to sleep in the bed.

* * *

_Douglas' Room_

* * *

"Man… couldn't wait until we got to Second Miltia, could they?" Douglas asked himself, upon finishing overhearing Minato and Yukari have sex from the room next over.

There was a knock on the door.

"Yeah? Who is it?" Douglas asked out loud, heading for the door.

When he opened the door, chaos was standing there. "I heard noises from the room next to yours," he remarked, "but when I went to check on Mister Arisato and Miss Takeba, they didn't really answer, and the door was locked."

Blinking, Douglas asked incredulously, "Wait… does that mean you don't know they were doing?"

"Not really," chaos remarked. "I will admit to knowing a lot of things, but… the noises I was hearing weren't anything I've experienced before."

With a palm to his face, Douglas answered, "Could you wait until we make our first stop at Senir? I promise I'll explain it to you then. For now? Get some sleep… you're gonna need it." With that, he closed the door, getting ready for bed himself.

* * *

_Vector Industries_

* * *

"Master Wilhelm," a mechanical voice of a man in a red cloak and wearing a matching mask said from in front of this 'Wilhelm' person's desk. "I have a report from KOS-MOS. Shion Uzuki and three other employees, Allen Ridgeley, Minato Arisato, and Yukari Takeba, have all joined up with KOS-MOS."

"I see..." replied Wilhelm, a silver-haired man with caucasian skin and orange eyes, wearing a business suit that reflected his position as the CEO of Vector Industries.

"This is fortunate, especially since there's an unidentified ship closing in on the battlefield," the man said further.

"And, if the ship were to threaten the girl," Wilhelm remarked, "KOS-MOS would protect her… Is that not right?"

"Yes," the man said. "That would be the prime directive."

"Either way, it was a wise decision to pull back KOS-MOS," Wilhelm remarked. "There's no need for us to continue serving them, or the Federation, any longer. Besides, the data for the Rhine Maiden is now complete."

Standing upright, Wilhelm walked over to a strange compass-like device, saying, "However… the alignment of this Compass of Order seems to be off. If the phenomena were indeed moving forward as specified by it, we'd be ready to accept that the Compass was correct, would we not? Still… regarding the rest… Gather the necessary factors and wait for the other one to awaken…"

* * *

**Takeshi Yamato: Well, that's the end of that chapter.**

**The Elsa has arrived, and this time KOS-MOS actually helps the protagonists get aboard. **

**And yes, we included a Minato/Yukari Lemon. Seemed appropriate.**

**Next chapter, we leave the Elsa behind for the moment, to go to the next arc. Let us see what the Butterfly Effect (semi-literally) changes next.**

**And don't forget to review, as well as reading/reviewing A Wizard in Iwatodai! :D**


	5. Chapter 4

**Xamusel: Welcome to the second story arc of Foreign Saga Episode 1. Now we get ready to see Ziggy and MOMO in action, though it seems ****_someone_**** will be getting a visit from Philemon, whether the person wants to be visited or not… oh, wait, make that ****_two_**** someones. Not only that, but someone will be getting a visit from a rather… ****_Chaotic_****… entity, whether we want that to happen or not.**

**Anyway… shall we get on with the story?**

* * *

Chapter 4: Let's blow this joint!

* * *

_In a hidden station_

* * *

In space, a planet was backlit with a blue glow.

This glow was not from behind the planet, as was shown when swirling energy rifts appeared at multiple points on the visible portion. Those rifts grew in size, larger and larger, until the planet vanished in a flash of light, leaving something that looked completely different in its wake-

-at least, until the monitor shut off.

In front of the monitor, a woman with tanned skin, blonde hair, blue eyes, a very voluptuous bosom, and what looked like crimson lipstick on her lips had a slightly downcast expression, having just watched the feed once more.

A man walked up to this woman, saying, "What's one and a half billion people to us…"

"They're innocents!" she replied vehemently. "Surely they deserve more respect."

"Respect? For what?" the man, revealed to be Commander Margulis, countered. "Save your philanthropy for someone that cares. The experiment may have been a failure, but I've taken steps to recover the Emulator. If the need arises, I'm not against using the Original, either. All we have to do is repeat the process until we get results. Is this all too much for your conscience to bear, Pellegri? In that case, feel free to reveal everything and wait for your death sentence."

"What about you?!" Pellegri, Margulis' all-but-official number two, demanded.

"Me, tried in a court of ignoble commoners?" Margulis countered, before shaking his head. "Don't make me laugh. _We_ are the ones who determine life or death. But, wait… Pellegri, are you telling me that you've forgotten everything we've been striving for these past 14 years?"

Before Pellegri could answer…

"Commander Margulis," a soldier said, getting their attention.

Turning to face the soldier, Margulis demanded, "What?"

"A message from Lieutenant Commander Vanderkam, sole survivor of the vanguard force," the man said. "The unit was decimated, the Zohar Emulator, unsecured."

"Where's the Zohar now?" Margulis asked.

"Location unknown," the man said. "Possibly seized by the Gnosis."

"I see," Margulis remarked. "Notify the 474th Spec Ops Fleet. We may need to implement Plan 31. Have them stand by in the specified coordinates for further orders."

"Yes, Sir!" the man acknowledged.

* * *

_A short time later_

* * *

"That Margulis really is getting to me," Pellegri said to herself, glad that her room was sound-proofed and camera-free. "It hurts that I can't get to Second Miltia any longer, unless I want to be arrested on sight… oh, _why_ did I choose Margulis again?"

Before she could say anything more, what looked to be a glowing blue butterfly, like those said to surround the Zohar and its Emulators, seemed to fly _through the wall_ and into her room.

"Hello, what have we here?" Pellegri asked out loud, approaching the mysterious creature. Before she could get close enough to touch it…

…she fell unconscious.

* * *

_Platform of the In-Between_

* * *

Pellegri found herself on a platform that looked like nothing she had ever seen before, standing in front of a man in a white tuxedo, with a butterfly mask covering his face.

With a bow, the man said, "Welcome. It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Philemon… a dweller between consciousness and unconsciousness. And now, a simple test; can you state your name?"

"Pellegri," she replied, wondering just what was going on.

"No last name that you are aware of?" Philemon asked.

She thought. It had been so long since she'd _used_ her last name… since before she'd met Margulis and Jin in the first place… "DiFalco," she said after a moment.

"Splendid," Philemon said. "There aren't many who can remember their identity when in this domain. It seems you've passed that test. But tell me this: Are you aware of the many and varied selves you harbor within you? The self suffused with divine love… the self capable of demonic cruelty. People live by wearing different masks. Your current self may be only one of those innumerable masks."

Pellegri blinked. This was… definitely unusual. "Masks?" she asked.

"Correct," Philemon answered. "You, though… you have a very firm grip on your identity. I respect your strong will… In return, I grant this power: Persona. It is the power to summon the selves within you… the gods and the demons you harbor. The time is soon when you will need this power."

She looked confused. "Why… why would you give me a power like this…?" she asked.

"You have a role to play in the events of the future," Philemon answered. "Whether for good or for ill, you will have to choose… but, regardless of whatever path you choose, remember that the choice was yours, and no one else's. I am merely giving you another chance at living the life you want. Now… you must return, to your proper time and place."

As Pellegri pondered the meaning of his words, and what kind of life she _really_ wanted, she was returned to her room.

* * *

_With Margulis_

* * *

Margulis strode through the corridors of the facility. He had another session with the 100-Series Realian, after all - they needed the data contained in her mind… the notes her creator had left behind.

**_"_****_Is it _****really****_ the data that you need, mortal? Or is it more than that?"_** a shadowy voice called out from an unmarked room.

"Who's there?!" Margulis called, placing a hand on the hilt of the sword, whose sheath rested on the front of his outfit.

**_"_****_I have had many identities over the course of existence,"_** the voice said, with a tone that seemed to invite Margulis into the room. **_"Perhaps you could give me a new one?"_**

Margulis found himself curious, but still cautious as he made his way into the room.

Upon seeing Margulis leave the door open behind him, the voice said, **_"You might want to do something about the door… who knows who could be able to overhear what we have to talk about."_**

Margulis thought for a moment. He then closed the door, but still kept a grip on his sword, ready for any form of treachery.

The voice gave a raspy chuckle before saying, **_"Good… you have the qualifications I look for, mortal. Perhaps you can wield my power effectively."_**

"Power?" Margulis asked. "And what 'qualifications' are you talking about?"

**_"_****_You trust no one around you, especially those that you just met, Margulis Du'Lacort of the Bloody Planets,"_** the voice supplied, a dark mirth in its tone. **_"I respect that you have the drive for power… power that you can use to return to where Humanity came from. Therefore, I grant you my power, the power to change the history of mankind's future once and for all."_**

"Just… how would I use this power?" Margulis questioned.

**_"_****_You have no need to worry, for I will teach you how when you use it,"_** the voice answered. **_"Now… do you accept the gift of my power?"_**

Margulis paused, then nodded. If this power would help him bring about the return to humanity's homeland…

**_"_****_Good… we are in a good partnership,"_** the voice said. **_"Now… isn't it a common practice to shake hands?"_**

Margulis extended his hand, though he was still somewhat wary.

Accepting the hand, the voice said, **_"My name… is Nyarlathotep. Remember that for when you need to call upon me."_**

With that, Margulis' world went dark, only the bright light of his soul keeping him awake.

* * *

_Federation Capital Fifth Jerusalem_

_Orbit Tower_

* * *

Fifth Jerusalem.

The capital world of the Galaxy Federation.

The world had gotten its name for being the fifth capital of the Galaxy Federation since Lost Jerusalem, also known as Earth.

At various points on the planet, Orbital Elevators led up from the planet to spaceports, where ships came and went on a regular basis.

These orbital spaceports also held secure meeting chambers, where various Government Committees could meet in privacy.

In one such chamber, the Federation's Subcommittee on Close Encounters, sometimes known as the 'Contact Subcommittee' was currently convened, as they prepared to hire someone to take a mission of great importance…

"So, what can you tell us about this man?" one member asked.

Another member answered, "He was a Special Forces agent with the Federation Police. A counterterrorism specialist. Of course, that was over a hundred years ago. Now he's a cyborg working freelance missions."

"A Cyborg?" a third member asked. "How anachronistic."

"He's a relic from the days when they reanimated the dead," a fourth member remarked. "They didn't have disposable Realians like we do now."

"Well, he's certainly got quite a resumé…" a fifth member said.

The second member said, "Rumor has it he deliberately seeks out missions with low odds of success."

"Is he insane?" the third member asked, incredulous. "Or just fascinated with death?"

"Well, he's been given a clean bill of mental health," the second member replied. "It doesn't look like he does it for the killing."

"Hmph," the first member remarked. "Advances in science have placed thousands of drugs on our shelves, and yet we still let psychiatrists wield their influence over us. They use these 'assessments' to validate their existence - I don't believe them one bit."

The fifth member said, "Well, he's got an extremely high success rate… I think he'll be fine."

At that moment, the secretary, a middle-aged woman, called the head of the subcommittee and said, _"Sir, he's here, but he's being carried by a young woman that appears to be 19… I'd ask what happened, but—"_

_"__I just found him unconscious on the ground when I was headed over here, honest,"_ a younger woman's voice carried over from the line. _"My operative name is Typhoon, and I'm a Kukai-sponsored mercenary, with credentials to prove it."_

The fifth member took a moment to look her up, and said, "She might be good for the mission, too - she doesn't seek out low odds missions like he does, but she has an even higher success rate. Only negative is a propensity for overkill, but then, overkill might be something we need in this case."

The first member took a moment to think about it, before saying, "Let's bring her up here… and see if she's worth the hiring we'll need."

The fifth member nodded, before saying, "Show them both in."

The Central portion of the floor of the chamber opened, allowing an elevator to rise, bringing up a hologram of the secretary, the 19-year-old woman, who had chestnut-colored hair that fell to her waist in a ponytail, violet eyes, and was wearing what looked to be a white, blue-trimmed business jacket and a blue miniskirt, and a blond man with mechanical components on his torso, arms, and legs, who seemed to be regaining his bearings after a return to consciousness.

"That'll be all," the fifth member said to the secretary.

_"__Yes, sir,"_ the hologram said… before disappearing.

A sixth member asked of the two remaining newcomers, "Ziggurat 8 and Typhoon, isn't it?"

"That's correct," Ziggurat 8 replied.

"Yes, indeed," Typhoon answered with a bow.

"Umm…" Ziggurat 8 began. "If I may ask, just how did I get up here? I don't really remember how I got from the planet to the elevator up here…"

"You can thank Typhoon, who's right next to you," the sixth member said, indicating her.

Ziggurat 8 turned to her and nodded. "Thank you, then, Typhoon," he said.

"Think nothing of it," she said, shaking her head. "Besides, I'm stronger than I look, having the needed power to lift you up while walking over to the elevator."

Before Ziggurat 8 could say anything more, the sixth member of the committee coughed into his hand and said, "Ziggurat 8, upon your death in T.C. 4667, you donated your body and chose to become a product of Ziggurat Industries."

"That's correct," Ziggurat 8 said, without looking at the committee member.

"And you, Typhoon," the sixth member continued. "You appeared on the global stage two years ago, sponsored by the Kukai Foundation. And you've had some 500 successful missions over the course of those two years?"

"Yes, sir," Typhoon replied.

"Have you heard about the mission, either of you?" the second member asked.

"No," Ziggurat 8 answered, while Typhoon shook her head.

The third member supplied, "Recently, we've received information that a certain armed group has shown signs of resurgence. This same group was responsible for the events that took place 14 years ago."

"The U-TIC Organization…" Ziggurat 8 said.

"Master Gaignun has informed me about them," Typhoon remarked. "I believe they are behind some of the more recent terrorist attacks, correct?"

"That's right," the first member said. "The information we've received from our independent sources has helped to identify the location of the U-TIC Organization's hideout." With that, he turned his chair and showed the two of them the monitor, helping them understand what was going on.

On the screen, they saw a structure in outer space, which they were both confused about. "This structure was originally a shrine for some long-lost ancient religion," the sixth member supplied. "It was eventually abandoned and remained uninhabited for centuries."

"So you want us to infiltrate and collect information on the group?" Ziggurat 8 asked.

"If that was all we needed, we would have left it to our intelligence agency," the third member answered.

"Actually…" the sixth member supplied. "To put it simply, we need you to rescue someone and return her to her rightful place. And technically, she's not human…"

"Just tell us what we need to know," Ziggurat 8 said, despite the holes being glared into him by Typhoon.

A seventh member held some giggles in her hand, before she gestured to the screen, showing information on…

"A child…" Ziggurat 8 said.

"Is she a civilian that accidentally got caught up in this?" Typhoon asked, worry in her voice. "No matter what, she'll be returned to—"

"She's a Realian, actually," the sixth member replied. "A 100-Series Realian. You heard of them?"

"The 100-Series Observational Realians… built specifically to combat the Gnosis," Ziggurat 8 answered. "I've heard rumors of them, but I didn't know they were disguised as children."

Typhoon's eyes widened when she heard that the girl was a 100-Series.

"Is this the first time you've seen the real thing?" the sixth member asked.

"Not really," Typhoon replied. "I've seen several employed by the Foundation. But… this one definitely looks a bit different than the ones I've seen…"

"It _is_ my first time seeing one, yes," Ziggurat 8 answered. "But, as Typhoon here said, isn't Vector already mass-producing them?"

The first member supplied, "This is a prototype. It will serve as the model for all future 100-Series Observational Units."

"So, what you're telling us is that securing this 'little girl' takes priority over all else, right?" Ziggurat 8 asked.

"It helps that you're a quick study," the first member answered.

"So, will you take the mission?" the fifth member asked.

"A cyborg has no rights," Ziggurat 8 answered. "I cannot refuse your request. I will analyze the situation and let you know what weapons and resources I need."

"I'll do it, too," Typhoon remarked. "From what Master Gaignun has told me about U-TIC, I doubt they want her for peaceful purposes. Master Gaignun knows my going rates, so contact him to cover my pay."

Ziggurat 8 paused for a moment. "I don't mean to demand any compensation, but… may I make one request?"

The first member answered, "Go ahead."

"After my return, I ask that you eliminate the neural memories residing in my brain from my previous life," Ziggurat 8 said, causing Typhoon to look at him with a bit of shock.

The first member of the committee answered, "That's not a problem, but it could be a difficult procedure with a body as outdated as yours."

"Add as many synthetic parts as necessary," was the reply to that from Ziggurat 8.

"What an odd request," the fifth member said. "These days, Realians are clamoring for human rights, but here's a man who wants to become a machine. All right. We'll make the arrangements."

Ziggurat 8 answered, "Thank you."

The fourth member said, "You can get the specifics from her, Dr. Juli Mizrahi… later."

Ziggurat 8 looked over at Juli, then nodded. Typhoon nodded as well, and the two descended on the elevator.

"Well, well…" the final committee member, Juli Mizrahi, commented. "He didn't die in the line of duty. It says here that he committed suicide. One shot in the head from his beloved pistol."

"Did you say suicide?" the first member questioned. "Can we entrust the 100-Series to that man? What if his self-destructive tendencies arise?"

"Not to worry," Juli remarked. "He's been equipped with a safety mechanism, which prevents him from harming himself or abandoning his mission."

She stood up from her chair, and walked over to the edge of the room. "He was brought to life against his will," she continued. "Once he replaces the rest of his brain with synthetics, he'll be a complete machine. Only then… will he be legally dead."

"Something strange about miss Typhoon, as well," the fourth member remarked. "Her records only seem to go back eleven years - not a trace of her before then."

"What are you suggesting, then?" the first member asked, incredulity in his tone. "That she hacked the data to be anonymous for the first eight years of her life?"

"Not really," the fourth member replied. "It could be she just fell through the cracks until then… though given some of the things the records say she can do, there could be another possibility… I presume you've all heard the various parallel universe theories?"

"_Really_?" the first member asked. "You're suggesting that she's from an alternate dimension?!"

"Actually, that sounds like the most logical explanation out there," Juli said from her spot at the window.

"I do tend to agree," the sixth member remarked. "It may be a bit… outlandish… but given that she apparently has capabilities for destruction far larger than what most people could hope to achieve with the equipment she normally tends to use, you do have to consider the outlandish ideas as having the most potential truth."

"In any case," Juli said, turning to face her colleagues. "We'll need to ask her what she remembers of her first eight years. Only then can we determine the truth."

* * *

_In the U-TIC base_

* * *

The 100-Series Realian Prototype sat on the bed in the cell where she had been held for several days now, a tray full of uneaten food sitting on a nearby table.

Eventually, Margulis made his way into the cell, saying to the Prototype, "How are you feeling, 100-Series Realian?"

She did not say anything in reply, as Margulis turned to the food tray. "Is the food here unsatisfactory?" he asked. "Even Realians require nourishment, you know."

Still no response.

"Are the Federation's 100-Series Realians so ill-mannered that they don't even reply to simple questions?"

Finally, the Realian lifted her head up, saying indignantly, "I don't like that name."

"Well, my goodness, pardon me," Marguils remarked. "And what would you like to be called, Miss 100-Series Realian?"

The Realian lowered her head, before saying, "I don't like strangers to be calling me by my name." Lifting her head up, she questioned, "Where are you taking me?"

"That, I'm afraid, is not for you to know," Margulis informed.

Lowering her head again, she asked, "What will happen to me?"

"You're going to help us out," Margulis replied. "Machines like you exist to be used. What happens to you after that, god only knows. …Assuming you people even have a god, that is."

"All I can really do is seek out and find the Gnosis," the Realian stated, standing up. With a shout, she countered, "I can't help you with anything!"

"That may be true," Margulis remarked, and then tapped his forehead as he continued, "But this part of you is a little different. We'd like to have a word with the man you have hidden inside of you."

The Realian gasped in horror, realizing what he meant.

"In any case," Margulis continued, "you'd best be keeping yourself alive as long as possible. 'He' will be arriving soon." With that, he walked out of the cell, leaving her alone.

While she was all alone, the Realian sat back down on her bed, hunched forward. "Mommy…" she said, fear in her voice. "I wanna go back home to the lab…"

* * *

_46 hours later…_

* * *

A small transport flew in towards the U-TIC Stronghold, common of those used by the organization. Entering the pressurized area, it opened up a hatchway as it glided up to a ramp, stopping when it was up against the ramp for its passengers to disembark.

By the time the ship started up again, it moved away from the ramp at a steady pace… only for two invisible people to jump onto the ramp from the open hatch.

One of the invisible people, Ziggurat 8, thought to himself, '_Let's see… the mission objective is to rescue a 100-Series Realian. Now, where is she being held captive? I don't want to cause a commotion until I find the Realian. It would be best to avoid unnecessary confrontations._'

At the same time, Typhoon, the other invisible person, thought, '_Quite a lot of security in this place… it was easy enough to get this far, but won't be as easy the further along we go… But once we find the 100-Series, I can go all out…_'

With that, they headed up the ramp that led further up, finding their way to the main entrance of the complex after finding a Scope and an Ether Upgrade S to the left of the doorway. When they got to the doorway, they both put a bomb on computer consoles on both sides of the door.

When they finished placing the bombs, they headed into what seemed to be a hallway for the shrine, Ziggurat 8 scanning with his thermal detection what was around… until the cloaking devices went dead. "Damn it. A malfunction," he said silently.

"Looks like," Typhoon remarked. "We're going to need to be extra careful to avoid detection now, either that or just take out anything that sees us."

However, Ziggurat 8 was thinking back on a conversation he had with someone, namely Juli Mizrahi.

* * *

_Earlier, before infiltration_

* * *

"I see…" Ziggurat 8 said. "So that 100-Series Realian is encoded with extensive amounts of research data left behind by the founder of U-TIC?"

"That's right," Juli replied. "It's data that could affect the entire fate of mankind."

"What is the founder's involvement?" Ziggurat 8 asked.

The Founder of U-TIC was the same man who advocated the creation of that child: the 100-Series Observational Unit," Juli informed. "Joachim Mizrahi… a madman who lost his humanity by immersing himself in science."

A moment of silence. "You look as if you have something to say…?" she asked, though Ziggurat 8 gave no answer.

Taking his silence as answer enough, she continued, "Yes, you guessed correctly. He is my ex-husband. Do you want to know what it was like being married to a murderer?"

"No," Ziggurat 8 answered.

Juli relented. "In any case," she said, "it's certain that the Organization is frantically trying to get its hands on that data. I'm afraid we don't have much time to spare."

"Understood," he stated. "I'll be leaving tomorrow at 0600 hours."

"Our hopes rest on you," Juli replied.

Turning around to leave, he paused in step, turning to face Juli. "There's… one thing I'd like to clarify," he said.

"Yes?" Juli asked.

"My instructions are to take the Realian to the Miltian star system," Ziggurat 8 said. "Yet she's registered with the government as your daughter. Why is it that you don't want me to bring her back here?"

"We're currently carrying out an operation based in the area between Miltia and Michtam," she replied. "An operation vital to the human race. That's why I'm sending her there. That's all I can say right now." Her expression darkened slightly. "Besides… This way, I won't have to see her, either."

* * *

_At the present_

* * *

"Juli Mizrahi…" Ziggurat 8 said, getting Typhoon's attention. "What a strange woman."

"You're telling me," Typhoon said, getting the Cyborg's attention. "Why would she have us risk our hides to rescue someone that might or might not be her daughter?"

"Actually, the Realian _is_ her daughter," Ziggurat 8 supplied. "We simply need to make sure that the girl is safe in the Miltian star system… that's all our contract says."

"Huh…" Typhoon remarked. "Well, I definitely think there's a story there… I'll want to find out what eventually, but right now we'll need to get the girl out of here, first."

"Correct," Ziggurat 8 said, getting ready to move out.

"Hmm…" Typhoon noted as they looked out over the area they had to traverse. "Looks like our footsteps will echo if we run too fast… unless we want to take out everyone in our path, we'll need to walk carefully."

"Agreed," Ziggurat 8 replied. "It would likely be better to move quietly - we don't want missed patrols making the enemy suspicious."

As they started walking carefully, the two of them managed to avoid the patrols, simply by virtue of walking some distance behind the guards and staying well out of sight. Along the way, they managed to get a couple Revives, allowing them to get up to proper health when needed… as well as a Snake Hunter that was in a secret passageway. They also found the locked red door for the area, as well as a statue that could be destroyed, which they did to find a chest with a Decoder 11.

Eventually, they made it to a rampway over a chapel, which they crossed with little difficulty.

Once they had crossed it, they reached more industrial-looking areas, and the first thing they found…

"An A.G.W.S.," Typhoon remarked. "U-TIC has some serious hardware patrolling around… you'd think they were preparing for a full scale assault on the place, or something."

Ziggurat 8 nodded, before he noticed a crane to their right, which he walked towards.

"Hmm… yeah, we might be able to use the crane to distract it," Typhoon remarked. "Skilled as I am, I'd rather not take that on if I can help it."

"My thoughts exactly, Typhoon," Ziggurat 8 answered, even as he maneuvered the crane to distract the A.G.W.S. in their way.

The crane swung crashing through several boxes as the A.G.W.S. went to investigate the commotion, giving Ziggurat 8 and Typhoon a chance to slip down a ladder and into the next room.

* * *

_With the 100-Series Realian_

* * *

The girl was sitting on her bed, unaware of what was going on, until she heard a guard say, "That's odd…" With that, she lifted her head, in time to hear more. "B Block hasn't checked in yet. I'll go check up on them. You two, stay right there!"

"Yes, sir!" another guard replied.

The girl stood up, and walked over to the door. Standing up on her tiptoes, she asked, "Is something wrong out there?"

The third guard turned to face her and retorted, "Shut up and sit down!"

She set back down on her feet, her face taking a downcast expression, as she turned and walked back to her bed.

From down the hallway, Ziggurat 8 and Typhoon noted that the girl was there, so Ziggurat 8 was going to rush them…

…only for Typhoon to hold him back with one hand on a shoulder.

"Relax," Typhoon remarked. "I can handle these two." She took out a small pendant. "Right, Tempest Soul?"

[Yes, Master,] the pendant replied.

Typhoon paused for a moment, concentrating. "Tempest Soul," she called out quietly, "Set Up!"

Ziggurat 8 quirked an eyebrow, which was quickly joined by the other eyebrow as the pendant seemed to glow, and then transformed into what looked like a Katana, though clearly not an ordinary one. The guard was a crossguard more equivalent to traditional longswords than a Katana's circular one, and at the joint between blade, guard, and hilt, there was a crimson, octagon-shaped jewel. In the bottom of the hilt, there was a section dedicated to putting things in, possibly bullets like what guns used back in the day.

At the same time, Typhoon herself seemed to glow, and when her weapon had finished changing, so had her outfit. She now had a white minidress with detached sleeves, with blue trim and ending in black fingerless gloves. Her miniskirt was now a deeper blue, and a much longer white skirt came down from a metal plate around her waist, the new skirt coming down to just above her feet, though it was open in the front. On her chest, the same octagonal crimson jewel rested in a special housing, just above her collarbone.

"Tempest Soul, prepare for Sniper Rifle mode," Typhoon said.

[Yes, Master,] Tempest Soul replied, before shifting into the form of a Sniper Rifle.

"That… is a most unusual weapon," Ziggurat 8 remarked. "Form-changing, completely different armor… even replying when you talk to it… I didn't think something like this existed."

Without a word to Ziggurat 8 at the moment, Typhoon put the scope to her eye, before setting it a bit away from said eye to prevent bruising it. She then pulled the trigger once as a beam of energy exited the chamber, piercing both U-TIC soldiers' heads, and having them fall to the ground.

Ziggurat 8 just looked on, completely speechless at what Typhoon's weapon could do.

"Thanks," Typhoon answered finally. "To be honest, when I first arrived on Second Miltia, I didn't have anything with me except for the clothes on my back, a backpack with some scrolls and school supplies in it, and Tempest Soul, who came with me by some strange accident… one that I'd rather not talk about just yet."

Ziggurat 8 nodded. There were things he didn't like to talk about, either - things that he'd hopefully be able to forget completely once this was done. "Very well," he replied. "Let's go."

With a nod, Typhoon headed with Ziggurat 8 for the cell door where the Realian was at, even as said girl was cowering back in fear. "Who… are you?" she asked.

Upon arriving in view, Typhoon said, "The Contact Subcommittee sent us here to rescue you. I'm known as Typhoon, and—"

"The Contact Subcommittee?" the girl asked hopefully. "Mommy?!"

Ziggurat 8 spoke up, "Stand away from the door. I'm going to break it in." With that, he prepared to—

"Wait - you can't!" the girl said. "They said an alarm would go off if I tried to force it open."

"Hyuu… looks are deceiving all the time, it seems…" Typhoon said, depressed.

"Correct," Ziggurat 8 said.

"There should be a master key held somewhere in this block," the girl said. "If you can find it…"

"All right," Ziggurat 8 said with a nod. "We'll be right back."

"Just wait for us," Typhoon added. "We'll get you out of there!"

With that, they headed out the other doorway, leading to the lower level of the previous room. Upon reaching the lower level, they ended up fighting a few more enemies, though… fighting would imply that Typhoon let the enemy have a chance in combat. Upon clearing the area of enemies, they opened a chest that was knocked down to that level, revealing two Veils.

Afterwards, they entered into a side corridor, and from there into a storage room, where they destroyed several boxes and acquired the items contained within… while also avoiding a Cyber Crab robot in the last box.

Upon making it out of there, they wound up inside the monitoring room, where they found a Gardius M1 on the other side of the room. Upon getting closer to it, it registered them as enemies, and started to attack.

Typhoon switched Tempest Soul back to its Katana mode, and closed in to deliver two quick slashes to the Gardius before retreating back.

The Gardius responded by deploying a pair of 'Assault Units' - small Gardius F10 Drones with beam cannons.

Ziggurat 8 then took out some of his laser attacks and destroyed a Drone… and then the other.

As he did this, Typhoon continued striking at the main unit with Tempest Soul, tearing gashes into the unit. There was one time when it deployed an Assault Unit, and she countered with a call of "Storm Shot!", which generated a sphere of energy that then seemed to move like a projectile and core through the Drone, then closed back in to attack the main unit once more.

With a few strikes against the Gardius left by Ziggurat 8, the robot went down, destroying it and the remaining Drones.

After the Gardius went down, Typhoon went to a chest in the corner and opened it, finding… "I think this is the Master Key we want," she said as she showed it to Ziggurat 8. "Let's hurry back to the 100-Series."

"Right," Ziggurat 8 said with a nod, before they rushed towards the prison cells.

* * *

_Meanwhile, over near the 100-Series Realian_

* * *

A small ferret with an unusual blonde coloring to its fur started crawling about, having appeared out of nowhere from under one of the dead guards, though its body was banged up from something that happened. Upon getting out of the mess it was in, the poor ferret looked around, sniffing for a particular scent… only to realize it was not there.

'_That's odd…_' the ferret thought, proving it wasn't really a ferret, but someone in the form of a ferret. '_I managed to get a lock on Miss Nanoha Takamachi's magical signature, but, when I arrived at the scene where I'd be able to find her… she's not here!_'

At that moment, it heard footsteps coming from one of the doors, prompting it to look in that direction… and gape in a way only a ferret can gape.

'_There she is!_' the ferret thought again. '_But wait… who's that man she's with? A fellow worker?_'

The two went up to the cell door, the woman he identified as Nanoha sliding what looked like a card key into a slot on the lock, allowing it to open and for a little girl to step out.

The man knelt down to look at the girl from her eye level. "Let me just confirm," he said to the girl. "You are the 100-Series Observational Realian Prototype, correct?"

'_Huh? What's a Realian?_' the ferret asked in thought. '_She looks like any ol—_'

"I don't really… like that name…" the girl answered the man.

'_Or not…_' the ferret thought.

"Alright then," Nanoha replied gently. "Do you have another one?"

Before the girl could say anything, the ferret cleared its throat, getting the attention of everyone else that was alive. "Excuse me, Mi—"

"EEEEEEEEK!" the Realian screamed out. "A talking rodent!"

Nanoha's eyes simply widened. "You're not something native to this galaxy," she informed. "Even this far into humanity's future in this universe, ferrets just don't talk. Tell me, do you belong to the civilization that made Tempest Soul here?" she indicated her blade as she said the last bit.

"Wait, wait, wait!" the ferret cried out, even as it scampered across the body of a deceased guard. "I'm not sure of all the details, but I—"

Suddenly, the ferret hit one of the buttons on the guard's body, one that specifically turned on the alarm.

"Kuso!" Nanoha remarked. "We have to get out of here - explanations can wait!"

"Agreed," the blond man, who the ferret noticed had what looked like mechanical components on his arms, legs, and torso, said as he stood up. "Let's go!"

At that moment, the Realian said, "MOMO!"

When the others looked at her, she said, "Daddy calls me MOMO… well… I mean… he called me MOMO."

The cyborg nodded. "All right…" he said. "Let's go, MOMO!"

"Okay!" MOMO replied.

The cyborg then turned to Nanoha. "Typhoon, grab the ferret and let's go!" he told her. "It might not be able to keep up otherwise!"

"Right," Nanoha said with a nod. Picking up the ferret, she hurried over to the door on the half of the room they were on, moving to the door furthest from the wall facing the down ramp and opening it. When she found the box inside, she blasted it apart, getting a Speed Stim from inside it.

Upon getting up the ladder on the other side of the open doorway, the cyborg, MOMO and Nanoha (or maybe it's Typhoon) ended up on the ramp over the chapel… and learning that there was a group of soldiers in front of them. With that, they went back the other way, going over to the area where the monitoring station was.

They entered the monitoring station and ducked down, keeping their heads well below the level of the window to avoid being spotted.

"Umm…" MOMO spoke up, getting the attention of everyone else in the room. "Mister, are you a military Realian?"

The cyborg answered, "No, an ex-human."

MOMO then asked in confusion, "Ex-human?"

"A cyborg," the man said. "An ancient relic. I registered as an organ donor without giving it much thought, and they resurrected me after my death."

"That infamous Life Recycling Act, right?" MOMO asked, getting a look of confusion from the ferret.

"Yeah," the cyborg answered, ignoring the look of confusion. "The Species Preservation Act came about thanks to the mess that old law caused."

"Umm… you still haven't… told me your name." MOMO said to the cyborg.

"It's Ziggurat 8," the cyborg replied.

"Ziggurat… 8?" both MOMO and the ferret asked at the same time.

MOMO continued from there, "You're a real human, but your name sounds more like a model number."

The ferret nodded. "Yeah, and that also sounds like a real mouthful," he said.

"I know!" MOMO said, after some thought. "How about I call you Ziggy instead? Z-I-G-G-Y. It's short for Ziggurat…"

Ziggurat 8 grunted, the name MOMO suggested triggering one of his memories…

* * *

_Back when Ziggurat 8 was human…_

* * *

A child's laughter could be heard, though the scene was playing out from Ziggurat 8's perspective. A dog was barking as well, which led the child over to the animal and pick it up in his hands. When the boy turned to face Ziggurat 8, he said, "Thanks, Dad!"

"Ahhh…" Ziggurat 8 said, embarrassed by what his son said. "I wanted to give you a real one if I could, but… I just couldn't get one…"

"Oh, no, it's great, Dad!" the child said. "He's so cute!" After a bit of pause, he asked, "Hey, Dad, what's his name? Did you give him one yet?"

"Nexus 6," Ziggurat 8 answered.

"That's just his model number, isn't it?" his son asked. "That makes him sound like a robot."

"Ah, yeah…" Ziggurat 8 said.

"Hmm…" the young boy said. "…I know! What about Nex? It's short for Nexus 6! What do you think, huh, Dad?"

"Y, yeah… That's a great name…!" Ziggurat 8 answered.

"Really?" the boy asked in joy. Putting down the dog, now named Nex, he said to his pet, "Come on, Nex! Let's go!" Running off with the dog following right behind, he exclaimed, "Come on, boy!" With that, the memory started to finish, leaving Ziggurat 8 back in the present.

* * *

_Present Time…_

* * *

"…do you think it sounds like a puppy's name?" MOMO was asking.

"Hmm?" Ziggurat 8 asked as he stood. "No… Call me whatever you want."

"Okay!" MOMO replied. "Then Ziggy it is! You'll sound a lot more human now!" She then turned to Nanoha/Typhoon. "What about you, Miss? Are you a Realian?"

"No, I'm human," Nanoha/Typhoon replied. "I've just trained heavily to build up my strength and reflexes, and Tempest Soul here helps out a lot, too."

[Thank you, Master,] Tempest Soul replied, causing the ferret's eyes to widen.

"Y-y-y-you have an Intelligent Device!" the ferret cried out, getting the other three occupants' attention.

"So that's what Tempest Soul is?" Nanoha/Typhoon asked. "I was always wondering about that… even where she came from."

"Looks like we lost them," Ziggy said, looking out the window. "Let's go." With that, he walked over to a console and pressed the blinking button, unlocking the door further down the hall.

As they began moving, MOMO asked Nanoha/Typhoon, "So… what's your name? I remember you calling yourself Typhoon earlier, but that… doesn't really sound like a name…"

"Typhoon's just an operative name I chose for myself, MOMO," Nanoha/Typhoon answered. "Going by my real name means that I have to recognize people that are probably better off without me as my parents… they more than likely don't care that I'm gone."

The Ferret seemed to perk up at this. "So… what is your real name?" he asked. He was fairly certain what it was, but he needed to make sure…

Typhoon/Nanoha sighed. Something told her the ferret wouldn't let this go… "Nanoha," she replied, as they began going down a ladder. "Nanoha Takamachi."

"Is that right?" the ferret asked in reply. "Great! I was hired by your father to find you!"

Getting off the ladder, Nanoha questioned the ferret, "I hate to sound skeptical, but there are two things I need to clear up with you… Number one, how can a _ferret_ be hired to do _anything_?! Number two, and more importantly, _why_ would _he_ hire someone to look for me?!"

"He hired me to look for you because he was worried sick about you from the time you went missing 11 years ago!" the ferret said. "Not to mention the fact that your mother, Momoko-san, was so worried sick, herself, that she passed away nine years ago from a combination of grief and the flu. You're the last link to her he has left… He wants to be sure you get home safe and sound, because he wants to make sure you have a good home to go back to before he, too, dies from overly looking for you, himself."

Nanoha looked at him in a bit of shock. "Do you have proof of all this?" she asked. "And you still haven't answered my first question: how can a _ferret_ be hired to do _anything_?"

"Oh, right," the ferret replied. "Always tend to forget people don't take me as seriously in this form, even if it's easier to move around undetected…" he leapt off of her shoulder, where he'd gone when they went down the ladder, and began glowing with a green light as his form seemed to change.

When the glow died off, it showed a blonde haired young man of 19 with glasses over his green eyes, wearing a pair of black fingerless gloves, tan shorts, a multi-colored shirt with embroidery on it, and a tan cape.

Nanoha looked at him in surprise, and mentally had to quash the hormones that threatened to rise when she looked over what was likely his true form - she knew she was bi, but this wasn't the time! "I see…" she remarked. "So, you can shift into an animal form…"

"Yes, indeed," the young man said with a nod. "As for proof of what I'm saying, I'll show it to you when we get out of here, assuming you're on a mission right now."

"Alright," Nanoha replied, as the group went through a doorway next to where a Med Kit could be found, and ended up in a chapel… likely the same one they had crossed over earlier on the bridge.

When they made it up to the area of the altar, the group opened the chest, revealing an Ether Upgrade Z… and then they destroyed the two wooden podiums on either side, one being the container for a pair of Ether Packs, the other housing an Ether Pack S.

The young man, meanwhile…

"What?! But… I can tell how old this place is! You're destroying ancient history!"

…was aghast at the destruction of stuff.

"Relax," Ziggy said. "These things repair themselves, very easily at that. It'll take a lot more than this to permanently destroy anything."

"B-b-but…" the young man stammered.

Nanoha sighed. "I'm guessing you're an Archaeologist, Mister…"

"Yuuno," the young man said. "Yuuno Scrya… my surname being Scrya."

"Right," Nanoha replied. "And yes, things do repair themselves rather quickly here. And we should get moving again - not sure how well they're doing on reacquiring our trail, but we need to find a ship we can use to get out of here as soon as possible."

"Okay!" MOMO declared, as the group moved on through to where they came from, with… surprisingly no resistance to them getting on their way.

"Um… how's it possible that the people working in this place haven't noticed us yet?" Yuuno asked, clearly confused, even as they managed to get a Revive from the destroyable objects in the area.

At that point, a group of about four Gardius F10 Drones appeared from behind them.

"…okay, me and my big fat mouth," Yuuno said, noticing the robots from behind, getting the rest to notice them. "So… what's the plan?"

"_RUN AWAY!_" Nanoha yelled in answer, promptly running away from the Drones, carrying Ziggy with one arm and MOMO with the other… without feeling the weight of both.

"H-hey! Wait for me, Nanoha-san!" Yuuno shouted, before chasing after the other three… and finding them going up a ladder on the opposite end of the corridor they travelled down.

He quickly followed them up the ladder, and found them crouched behind some crates. On the other side…

"Three A.G.W.S. units," Ziggy reported. "And one looks like a Commander Type. This will be a trickier foe…"

"What are A.G.W.S.?" Yuuno asked, not really aware of what was on the other side. "I take it you don't mean like what comes out of a chicken or any kind of bird or non-mammal, right?"

"Right," Nanoha replied. "It's an acronym: Anti-Gnosis Weapon System. What it is, is a large robotic frame someone controls from inside, like a humanoid fighter craft."

"Oh!" Yuuno exclaimed in a soft tone of voice. "You mean like a Mobile Suit?"

"What's a Mobile Suit?" Ziggy and MOMO asked at the same time.

"Eh… pretty much," Nanoha said, shrugging. "Then again, the red one is probably not piloted by a Char, to my knowledge."

"Oh? Is it possible that there's no Char in this universe?" Yuuno asked.

MOMO and Ziggy both looked like they had entirely lost the plot of the conversation.

"Hell if I know," Nanoha said casually, causing Yuuno to gasp slightly… which she didn't notice. "What I _do_ know is that they don't normally allow heavy modifications on A.G.W.S. units like what a Char Custom takes."

"Okay… wait, normally? What happens to the ones that _do_ have those heavy mods?" Yuuno asked.

"Umm… what are you two talking about?" MOMO asked.

"Oh, right," Nanoha said, taking a look at the Realian. "Sorry, I didn't think to explain what we were discussing." Clearing her throat politely, she said, "Think of a Mobile Suit as a larger version of an A.G.W.S., and think of a Char Custom as something that is supposed to improve a unit's specs by three times the power that a regular unit like it would have… without sacrificing the armor in the process."

"Oh… so a Char Custom is impossible because it sacrifices armor with an A.G.W.S. unit?" Yuuno asked.

"Yep, that's right," Nanoha answered. "Oh, right, Char Customs are usually done by someone named Char Aznable… in the franchise that it originated from."

"I see…" Ziggy remarked. "Well, we can discuss it in more detail later - we need to deal with these three now, before pursuit can catch up."

"…A large number of soldiers are making their way over here," MOMO stated. "At this rate, this room will be filled with over a hundred soldiers in eight minutes."

"Recon Realians are pretty handy," Ziggy remarked. He then looked at the A.G.W.S. units again. "I guess rushing them is out of the question."

"Even for you, Ziggy?" MOMO asked the cyborg.

"Not even a cyborg could take on three A.G.W.S. units," Ziggy replied. "I'd be shot to pieces… And I'd assume that Nanoha and Yuuno over here are in a similar situation."

"Yes/No," Nanoha and Yuuno said at roughly the same time, Nanoha saying yes, Yuuno saying no… before Nanoha looked at Yuuno and asked, "How's that possible?"

"I tend to focus on the use of defensive magic, coupled with a bit of Strike Arts," Yuuno remarked. "I could cast a barrier around myself, protecting me from their guns, as I closed in and attacked, or if they used Mass-Based Weaponry, like guns, I could place a barrier in the barrel, effectively blocking it."

"What if the A.G.W.S. units couldn't use their sensors?" MOMO asked.

"Well, that would probably help," Ziggy admitted. "But why?"

"I can reduce their ability to some extent," MOMO elaborated.

"How?" Ziggy asked.

"The Hilbert Effect," MOMO answered, with Nanoha looking in awe at the Realian, and Yuuno looking confused. "Using inverted Hilbert wavelengths, I can create cross-interference that automatically shuts down the A.G.W.S.' D.S.S.S. enemy sensor system. That should take out most of their external sensors."

"What's the Hilbert Effect?" Yuuno remarked.

"I was actually about to ask that," Ziggy said.

"It's an anti-Gnosis materialization system," MOMO explained. "Normally it's spread out over a wide range via an amplifier installed onboard a spacecraft, but I can create the effect by myself in small areas like this."

"That might work," Ziggy said, nodding. Turning to face the Realian, he said, "All right, go ahead."

MOMO nodded, before closing her eyes and appearing to concentrate. A few moments later, a bluish-purple light seemed to emanate out from MOMO, spreading out throughout the room they were in.

"The Hilbert Effect…" Ziggy said in awe. "So this is our secret weapon against the Gnosis."

At that moment, the A.G.W.S. units, two Mercurios and a Zolfo, started electrocuting, losing some of their ability to fight well. It took a few moments…

…before MOMO gasped and fell to the ground in front of her.

"Are you alright?" Nanoha asked.

Meanwhile, the A.G.W.S. units started to get back up in close enough to tip top condition, before the Zolfo pilot started questioning, _"What was that?! What happened?!"_

A Mercurio pilot finally realized it, and answered, _"Hilbert waves! Someone's using the Hilbert Effect on us!"_

The other Mercurio pilot realized it as well, checked the internals of his unit, and declared, _"My enemy sensor system has shut down!"_

The pilot of the Zolfo understood what that meant immediately, shouting, _"It's the 100-Series! I can tell from the cross-interference! Find her! She's close!"_

"You mentioned cross-interference," Ziggy said to MOMO, as Yuuno and Nanoha tended to her. "Are you feeling the effects, too?"

"I'm… fine…" MOMO started to say, fighting past the pain this was causing. "I'm supposed… to have… a much higher… capacity… than them."

"Rest a bit," Ziggy told her. "We'll take care of this."

"I'm… okay…" MOMO replied, getting back up on her feet. "I can still… help out. My nanorepair function's still operational…"

He nodded, then the four turned to face the A.G.W.S. units, which had noticed them by this point.

MOMO started the battle off by using an Ether attack to put a Mercurio pilot to sleep, namely the skill "Sheep Beam", which… was a critical success, if one were to use Role-Playing terms, really.

Ziggy took the next action, using his Bodyguard Ether ability to get some extra power to protect MOMO, and, thus, save her from trouble.

Before Nanoha and Yuuno could act, however, the Zolfo turned to the Mercurio with the sleeping pilot, and…

_"__Why are you sleeping?!"_

...promptly shot the unit with critical damage.

_"__I-I'm sorry, sir!"_

"Well, that worked better than anticipated," Nanoha remarked. "MOMO, keep doing that - maybe the command machine will take out his subordinates for us."

"O-okay!" MOMO answered.

The next one to act was Nanoha, who charged her magical ability into Tempest Soul and rushed towards the other Mercurio and called out, "Ryutsuisen!" With that, she performed what could only be described as Battojutsu, only without the scabbard to help initiate it. The result? A Mercurio with missing lower legs, crashing backwards to the ground, leaving it prone to destruction.

The Zolfo acted in response to this, pointing its grenade launcher at Nanoha, but before it could fire, Yuuno cast a spell of his own, a green sphere of energy surrounding Nanoha and allowing her to tank the hit.

The downed Mercurio and its fellow both cried out, "You got her, Captain!"

"Heh… course I—" was all the Zolfo pilot got out, before the smoke cleared, revealing an unharmed Nanoha. "What the FUDGING HELL?!"

Ziggy took this opportunity to slam the Zolfo with a Lightning Fist, as MOMO used her Sheep Beam on the intact Mercurio… putting its pilot to sleep again.

_"__Why are you sleeping?!"_ the Zolfo pilot yelled out again, taking out its gun and shooting the unit once more, almost destroying it in one hit this time.

_"__I-I'm sorry, sir!"_ the Mercurio pilot apologized.

"Ziggy, finish off the downed one!" Nanoha called out. "MOMO, put that other one to sleep again!"

"O-okay!" MOMO replied.

"Wait! Why are you—"

Ziggy moved in for the kill just as Yuuno was attempting to ask why they were going to kill the pilots, using his melee skills to destroy it, making it go boom when he moved away.

"—killing them…?"

"I'll explain later," Nanoha replied, as she began moving behind the Zolfo even as MOMO put the other Mercurio pilot to sleep yet again.

_"__Why are you sleeping?!"_ the Zolfo pilot yelled for the last time, shooting his subordinate again, expecting it to stay up… it was an Epic Fail. With a boom, the other Mercurio went down, leaving the Zolfo without allies. _"...shit!"_

At that point, Nanoha leapt into the air behind the Zolfo and brought Tempest Soul down, splitting the command A.G.W.S. in two right down the middle.

With an epic explosion, which was only experienced by the combatants present, the Zolfo fell in combat.

"Alright! We won!" Nanoha exclaimed.

"Indeed," Ziggy replied. "And good thinking in taking advantage of the distraction, Nanoha."

"Ziggurat 8," Nanoha said, tone dangerously low. "If you _ever_ call me by my real name without my permission again, I'll show you _why_ I go by Typhoon, you _got it_?!"

He nodded. "Understood, Typhoon," he replied.

"Um… what about me?" Yuuno asked, confused by the tone of voice being used.

"Oh, you know the rule of how to address me, despite not knowing me through updated means," Nanoha answered. "The honorific is important no matter what."

While this was going on, Ziggy destroyed a crate, obtaining for the group two Biospheres. "We should probably hurry, then," he said.

"Agreed," Nanoha remarked. "Let's get out of here before we have to deal with any more foes like that."

With that, they headed to the door and hurried inside, finding themselves in the command center… which, fortunately, was surprisingly empty. After taking a bit to recover… they headed out the main door.

* * *

**Takeshi Yamato: Well, technically now we've added Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha to the Crossover.**

**Definitely an interesting twist, and a different Nanoha than in canon.**

**A few of the questions that will likely need to be answered are: How did Nanoha get transported to the Xenosaga-verse? How did she find Tempest Soul? And what has her absence from her home dimension meant for the Jewel Seed and Book of Darkness Incidents?**

**There are a few other changes, as well - we'll need to wait and see how they all play out.**

**Until then, don't forget to review! And drop some reviews on A Wizard in Iwatodai over on my profile, as well! :D**


	6. Chapter 5

**Xamusel: Okay, getting back to work on this story, even though we should be working on the main story… should we? Now, in this chapter, we get to see the results of what happened in the previous chapter, from the very beginning of it, to the very end.**

**Oh, for those of you wondering about the end of the previous chapter, my mistake… I forgot that there were 8 Med Kit S' in the part right before the command center along with those Bio Spheres. Oh well… beggars can't be choosers and all that.**

**P.S.: Sorry for the long wait between the previous chapter (August 11th) and this one (November 1st). Many things got in the way.**

**Now… time to start this next chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 5: First Revelation of a Persona

* * *

When they exited the command center of Pleroma, the shrine that U-TIC acquired for their base of operations, the first thing they did was stealthily sneak past the patrolling guards by walking silently. After they made it to the front door…

…they rushed forward to the spaceport and found themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place, aka, the front door and Margulis.

Almost as soon as he saw them, Margulis drew his sword, twirling it around a few times before slamming it into the ground, sending a wave of fire towards them.

Before the flames could reach the group, Tempest Soul called out in reflex, [Round Shield!] Not only did this protect the group inside a greenish bubble of energy from the flames, it also forced the flames to stay still, to prevent any of the fires from getting to them.

"I see," Margulis remarked. "An impressive defensive ability there. I can see now how you got this far…" He then scoffed. "Still, what a worthless bunch. I can't believe they couldn't stop a group as small as yours."

Nanoha didn't say anything, simply glaring at the man that was possibly responsible for MOMO's kidnapping…

"Ziggy, Typhoon, this is the guy…" MOMO said in worry to the ones that were hired to get her out.

"Yeah," Ziggy said with a nod, face grim. "We know."

"Looks like I'm about to get some decent exercise, and a chance to test out my new power," Margulis said, before bringing up his sword. "And this baby's quite pleased, as well."

"I'm not a tool that you can just use!" MOMO shouted in anger, just before Margulis sliced his sword at Ziggy…

…only to be intercepted by Nanoha wielding Tempest Soul in Katana form as she blocked the blade, even managing to _chip the blade_ with that block!

"Most impressive," Margulis remarked. "In all my years, I've never come across a weapon sturdy enough to chip my own… and with such a skilled wielder… this will be fun."

"How is conflict like what you're causing _fun_?! Do you have any idea how much death and destruction you're causing wantonly?!" Nanoha demanded, a fire in her eyes that was burning in righteous fury.

"Death is a fact of life, girl," Margulis sneered. "Those who fall beneath our blades were simply not strong enough to survive." He then grinned. "But they are hardly any challenge… it's been a while since I last had an engaging fight…"

"So you just preach _Social Darwinism_ as the _only_ way to live life?! Might does _not_ make right, nor does _Survival of the Fittest_ apply all the time!" Nanoha yelled indignantly, preparing for a second strike against Margulis. As she swung, she said, "Every life has a value that you're obviously ignoring… _every_ life!"

"That does not mean they have equal power!" Margulis countered as he struck with a flurry of blades, Nanoha parrying with a style that was beginning to look familiar. "It is the fate of the common-born to yield to those of high-standing - be it bowing in servitude or falling in death!"

"You believe in the idea of the high-standing having more power than anyone else?! Even though it doesn't work that way?!" Nanoha questioned, swinging her blade in a way that was starting to look unfamiliar. "People should not be afraid of their governments, or those of higher standing in this case, Margulis! Governments should be afraid of their _people_!" With that, the blade Margulis held broke into two pieces, the severed stump of a blade incapable of blocking any further.

Margulis leapt back, avoiding most of the blade though he still got caught in a leg, but the girl knowing his name was the final piece of the puzzle, as it finally clicked as to why her style was familiar. "I see…" he said. "So swordsmanship was not all that _he_ taught you, girl… I understand now why I felt you would be a challenge, if you were _his_ student."

"So what if I _was_?" Nanoha retorted, bringing her blade up to bear against her mentor's former fellow student, preparing for practically anything. "Who I learned from has nothing to do with who I am as a person at all! It also has nothing to do with my potential to use specific abilities, or even abilities that were gifted at birth, like my Spatial Awareness ability that's telling me you're even _worse_ off than sensei warned me about!"

"Perhaps…" Margulis replied, a black aura beginning to come from his body. "Still, the fact that you were taught by Uzuki… means I cannot hold back any longer!"

"If you call what you were doing before 'holding back'," Ziggy shot out, "I would hate to see what you'd call going serious!"

Margulis didn't answer, instead holding out a hand in a manner to crush something that might as well—

***CRASH!***

—be made out of glass, despite being in the shape of a Tarot Card.

Almost as soon as the card was crushed in his hand, a murky figure appeared behind him, having about a thousand masks on its body and a few tentacles sprouting from its torso. The moment the figure appeared, a dark flame shot forward, snaking around Nanoha and aiming for her blind spot.

Ziggy immediately leapt into the path of the attack, arms crossed as he shielded Nanoha from the blow.

"Ziggy!" MOMO and Yuuno cried out, before a blue aura started to appear around him, most unlike Ether and Magic that either of them had seen. Not only did it fix the damage that was dealt to him because of the flames, but it also gave him a fresh spark of life that rekindled his desire to live, which was enough to let him use his new abilities to their fullest. A blue Tarot-like Card appeared in his right hand, the image of a mechanized man wearing a toga and holding a lightning bolt in the image's right hand, with the Roman Numeral XXI on the bottom.

In Ziggy's mind, he heard a voice call out to him, _"Thou art I… and I am thou… from the sea of thine soul I come forth. I shall lend you my strength in times of need."_ It was at that point that he remembered meeting someone… a man who was able to reach him in the strangest of places and offer him a power that was near impossible to achieve at his state. It was after remembering the true nature of his new power that he walked to be next to Nanoha and facing Margulis, in time to utter three syllables of major importance, which would forever change his life… again.

"Per… so… na!"

With that, he crushed the card in his hand, revealing the man from on the card as he floated up from behind Ziggy. _"Father of the heroes of old, Ruler of Olympus, I am Zeus… King of all Greek Deities!"_ the man called out, even as he threw a lightning bolt at Margulis and pierced the man with a solid lance of lightning, doing some significant damage… and forcing Margulis to drop a Purple Ring.

"Rather impressive," Margulis grunted as he regained his footing after the strike, even as Nanoha swept in and grabbed the ring. "Still, you won't escape this place."

"Just watch us," Nanoha replied, triggering the detonator for the explosives she and Ziggy had placed earlier.

With that, the bombs went off, though the only cue that they were going to be big explosions was the glow that went around them for a few seconds… enough time for MOMO and Yuuno to get to the two fighters of that battle and immediately have all four of them hightail it out of there _just_ as the bombs went off.

A line of A.G.W.S. Units went up in spectacular explosions, flames filling the area and separating Margulis from the other four, as they ran for a ship.

When Ziggy was about to get in the same fighter as the others, he paused in mid-step, sensing something from behind him. Turning around to look for the source, he finally found the root cause of it, but…

Gunshots were heard, cracking and hitting near his location, stopping him from finding out who was causing the sensation. With that, he got in the fighter's seat, seeing Nanoha with MOMO on her lap in the back seat. Looking around for Yuuno, Ziggy realized that he was in ferret form, sitting on Nanoha's left shoulder. With that, he closed the hatch and accelerated out of the shrine, with pursuit craft coming from behind.

Meanwhile, Margulis stepped out of the flames, his own skills at manipulating fire allowing him to step through unscathed. He then looked around, seeing all the damage the intruders had done, before turning to a specific direction. "You're late," he said to another figure approaching, one with silver hair, and wearing a cape that looked like wings. Behind this man was another figure, who looked similar to MOMO, but with darker skin and white hair.

* * *

_With Ziggy and company…_

* * *

"Is something wrong?" MOMO asked Ziggy, who was recalling what he had seen before stepping onto the spacecraft.

"No, it's nothing," he replied, before focusing back on the task at hand. "MOMO, find a trade column and short-jump us out of here. I want to get back on our return path once we shake off our pursuit."

"Okay!" MOMO answered, before setting up the controls to do just that.

* * *

_A few Gate-Jumps Later…_

* * *

"So, Typhoon," Ziggy spoke up from his position in the front of the fighter.

"Yes, Ziggy?" Nanoha asked, wondering what this would be about.

"How did you end up… in this universe, I guess… as a Kukai Foundation-sponsored Mercenary?"

Nanoha took a somber expression upon hearing the question, before saying, "I was only going home from school at that point in time, when I first found Tempest Soul…"

* * *

_11 years prior, back in Nanoha's universe…_

* * *

"Man, that was an interesting class today, right?" The blonde-haired, blue-eyed Alisa Bannings asked her two friends.

"Yeah, it was, Alisa-chan!" Nanoha answered. "Who knew that science was that fun to learn about, alongside the math equations we usually learn how to do?"

"Agreed," The purple-haired and purple-eyed Suzuka Tsukimura informed. "I was definitely intrigued about seeing how the elements of the Periodic Table came together like they did."

Nanoha smiled at seeing her friends all happy like they were just then, glad that she had such good friends. "Anyway, what's next on the agenda? Do we go to the cram school now?"

"Cram school isn't for another hour or so, though…" Alisa remarked. "I was thinking we could swing by the Cafe Midori-ya and grab something to snack on, first."

"Oh, right… how about we find a different cafe to go to?" Nanoha suggested, feeling ashamed about something.

"You sure?" Suzuka asked. "You don't want to say hi to your family in-between regular school and cram school?"

"Exactly, Suzuka-chan," Nanoha said. "I hate to say this, but I feel like the odd one out, and for good reason. My parents probably adopted me for one reason or another, considering I overheard them talking about how 'the adopted one' needed to learn the truth one of these days, so…"

Alisa sighed. "So what if you're adopted?" she asked. "They're still your family!"

Nanoha shook her head at that. "I wouldn't bet on it, Alisa-chan," she said. "A short bit after I overheard them talking, I decided to do some investigating in their room. It turns out that there was originally a Miyuki Fuwa before she was adopted into the family… and I have the feeling that I'm her. The Fuwa clan was murdered at one point, with only this Miyuki as the survivor, but… what if the Takamachi family was compatriot with the murderers of the Fuwa? The Fuwa were initially a clan of bodyguard ninja… and I haven't been trained in the Fuwa fighting styles by _him_ since I was made a Takamachi. See a connection?"

Alisa sighed again. "Nanoha-chan, even you have to admit that's rather far out there," she said. "What if it's all a coincidence?"

"No, it's not," Nanoha said. "I also found a couple scrolls in the attic of my house, both of them being labeled as Fuwa-ryu training scrolls, one being swordsmanship and the other being martial arts in the normal sense. They seemed to be unopenable by anyone, but I could open them, given my nature as a member of the Fuwa clan."

Alisa shook her head. "I still think you might be missing something, Nanoha-chan," she said.

"Yeah, I'm sure there's some reason your parents never told you or taught you any of this," Suzuka remarked. "Look, if you don't want to ask your parents about this directly, I can talk to Shinobu-nee - you know how close she is with your older brother Kyoya. I'll ask her to discreetly drop some questions, see what turns up. I'm sure there's some big misunderstanding in there somewhere, so don't pass judgement until after Shinobu-nee and I have had a chance to look into this, alright?"

With a sigh, Nanoha shook her head, saying, "Not like it'll do much good, Suzuka-chan. Still, you have a point. I'll wait on passing judgement for the time being, at least until I know what to look out for." With a gurgling of her stomach, Nanoha said, "Uh… perhaps we should get some food? I'm still not comfortable with my family just yet, so the Midori-ya is out, alright?"

Alisa and Suzuka both shook their heads at their friend's stubbornness. "Alright, alright…" Alisa remarked. "Let's find someplace, then…"

As they walked through the park between them and the shopping district, Nanoha started to feel uneasy all of a sudden, though she wasn't aware of the details behind it. With each step forward, however, the feeling grew stronger. It was as if there was something going on in the immediate area, and she was having trouble with staying, if only because of the fear that she might die cropping up.

Suzuka was the one to notice her unease. "Nanoha-chan, what's wrong?" she asked.

Nanoha shook her head, saying, "It's hopefully nothing. I might be overreacting to this path."

Alisa frowned. "Well, let's keep going - see if anything happens," she said. "If something does happen, we run, alright?"

"Right," Nanoha said with a nod. With that, they kept walking down the path, before…

"Hey, what's that?" Alisa asked, pointing at what looked like a glint of metal on the ground just off the path.

Nanoha's sense of unease only grew from seeing the glint of metal, but she was the only one who could sense that it was meant for human hands to hold it, so she walked off the path and picked up the object.

As Nanoha picked up the object, there was a bright flash, as Alisa and Suzuka cried out Nanoha's name in worry. When the flash died down, their eyes widened in horror when they saw that Nanoha… was no longer there.

* * *

_Back in the present…_

* * *

"And that's how it went," Nanoha finished. "With no way of knowing what happened back home… I was stranded."

Yuuno's eyes were wide. "So, when you picked up Tempest Soul, something triggered a dimensional dislocation of some kind?" he asked. "Uncontrolled ones are rather rare, but have been known to happen… so, what happened next?"

"Wait, _that's_ what happened?" Nanoha questioned incredulously. "I could have sworn something else happened, but if it was uncontrolled… that makes some sense. As for what happened next, well, it turned out that I was dumped onto Second Miltia three years after the Miltian Conflict. Shortly afterwards, I was found by a man I know as Jin-sensei, who helped me learn more about my family talents as a Fuwa."

"And who apparently has a bit of history with that man we fought at the end there," Ziggy remarked. "Did 'Jin-sensei' say anything about that?"

Nanoha was silent for a bit, before she said, "Margulis Du'Lacort murdered Jin-sensei's grandfather at a point prior to the end of the Miltian Conflict, even though sensei was a fellow student of Margulis' under his grandfather, alongside a woman named Pellegri DiFalco. There was a fight between sensei and Margulis, during which the conflict was about to wrap up, especially since the planet was meant to be blockaded and abandoned after that point."

Ziggy nodded. "All the UMN paths to it were sealed after the Conflict," he said. "Even if someone wanted to get there, I don't think they could… anyway, what happened after you had finished your training?"

"It was two and a half years ago when I finished my training under Jin-sensei," Nanoha said, a faraway look in her eyes. "I was looking for work that complemented my skills as a warrior, but all I was considered able to do at the time was do chores, considering what Jin-sensei's hobbies were without me around… it seemed to be a bad thing to be his student at the time. The moment I found an opening by the Kukai Foundation for a sponsorship program, though, I felt that I was ready to prove that sensei wasn't a bad teacher at all."

"That's definitely interesting…" Ziggy remarked. "And I assume you've met Gaignun Kukai directly." She nodded. "I see."

At that point, MOMO spoke up. "Umm… Mister Yuuno?" she asked. "You seemed to know a bit about Miss Nanoha's 'Device', and you said you'd been sent to find her… could you tell us your story?"

Yuuno, in his ferret form still, nodded as he said, "Well, three weeks ago, I was hired by Nanoha-san's father to find her. He was worried sick about her, even literally in this case, since she had wound up missing. He hired a plethora of investigators to search for her all over Earth, what you might name as Lost Jerusalem if it were in this dimension, and turned up empty. It had gotten so bad at that point, especially since Earth was in a massive energy crisis because of two incidents that took place, that he was about to lose hope of finding her."

Nanoha looked confused at that. "Why would he worry about me?" she asked.

"Let me see…" Yuuno said. "First off, your father married your mother before you were born, and sired you. Second, you're the last link to your mother he has left, considering he married into the Takamachi family. Third, when you spoke of an adoption taking place, that was actually about your cousin Miyuki, who was made your older sister because the rest of the Fuwa clan was killed then. Need I say more, Nanoha-san?"

Nanoha's eyes were wide in shock. "So… so Suzuka-chan was right, then?" she asked, dumbly. "It… it was all a misunderstanding? But… what about the scrolls?"

"Miyuki's your cousin on your _father's_ side of the family, Nanoha-san," Yuuno explained. "His original surname, before changing it to your mother's surname of Takamachi, was Fuwa."

She nodded, understanding a little bit. "So… they were his scrolls… and I could open them because of my relation to him…" she mused. "Wh… what else has happened since I left? You mentioned two incidents?"

"Yes, that's right," Yuuno said. "The first of these two incidents was how I made it to Earth to begin with… I was transporting 21 dangerous seed-like jewels full of magical power to a different world, when a terrorist destroyed the freighter that I was in. Fortunately, I was able to evacuate moments before the freighter exploded… however, the Jewel Seeds were scattered all around Earth, and I felt it my duty to relocate them and seal them away. The first problem involved with that was the fact that each one had a self-defense mechanism inside. Then there was the terrorist's daughter, who aided in destroying much of the energy infrastructure of Earth unwittingly, only doing what she did because she wanted to please her mother."

"Somehow I doubt her mother deserved a daughter like that," Nanoha muttered. "Were things dealt with before too much damage could be done?"

"Fortunately, yes," Yuuno said. "Thanks to a civilian volunteer who helped talk to the daughter, we realized that Precia Testarossa was doing this to resurrect her killed daughter Alicia… and that the one acting like she was happened to be a clone of Alicia, who managed to switch sides and help us bring Precia to justice, even testifying against her, thus keeping Fate, the clone, from getting in trouble."

"That's good," Nanoha replied. "What about the second incident?"

"Well… that was a lot worse off than the previous incident, given how much of the map of Japan was redrawn to accommodate for the destruction involved," Yuuno admitted.

Nanoha seemed to pale a bit at this. "Wh… what happened?" she asked.

"Well, there was a book that was labeled a dangerous artifact, one that could easily destroy the world if it wasn't stopped at all," Yuuno answered. "This book, labeled as the 'Book of Darkness', was infected by a dangerous Defense Program, or something like that, anyway. Still, the book was slowly getting filled, and, whenever it was finished, it would go on a rampage to destroy the planet… all before it chose a new master and repeated the process."

"That sounds horrible…" MOMO said.

"You don't know the half of it," Yuuno said, pain filling his voice. "The Master of this particular book at the time was someone who didn't want anything to do with the purpose of it, so she forbade her 'Knights' from doing what they ended up doing anyway, even though her life force was being eaten away by the book. The 'Knights' were doing this behind her back, but only because they wanted her to live, and because they had no other purpose in life."

MOMO shivered at that, as Nanoha ran a hand through the Realian's hair soothingly. "What happened to the Master and the Knights?" Nanoha asked.

"The Master, a girl who would've been your age named Yagami Hayate, was dying… and she decided to take the Book of Darkness with her to the afterlife, as she said, though it took plenty of firepower to destroy the Book once and for all. The Knights, perhaps as part of their atonement for their actions prior to that point, helped to destroy the book as well… and ultimately were killed in action," Yuuno answered.

Nanoha hung her head sorrowfully at the news, Ziggy doing the same even as MOMO burst into tears. "That's so sad…" Nanoha said. "That someone would willingly sacrifice themselves to destroy something like that… she must have been very brave…"

"Like I said, she was dying," Yuuno said. "She had no qualms with dying, herself, but she didn't want to take the whole world with her. She struggled with finding a way to live, but felt that dying was her only option, considering that she felt the whole mess to be her fault."

Nanoha sighed. "Well, I hope she's in a better place, now," she said. "Her and her Knights… how has the world been recovering?"

"It hasn't been recovering all that well, unfortunately," Yuuno said, regret in his voice. "In fact, the world needed to be quarantined with everyone off-planet, so that the planet can recover in at least 100 years local time. When it was apparent you were not among the people vacated from Earth, that was when I was hired, to make sure you could be found."

Nanoha nodded. "I see," she said. "Well, thank you for letting me know all this." She paused for a moment. "What about Alisa-chan and Suzuka-chan? Are they alright?"

"Yes, they are," Yuuno said. "In fact, Alisa-san volunteered her time and services to help stop the first incident, despite not needing to be involved. Also, she and Suzuka-san recently got into a relationship, one that took it beyond friends."

Nanoha smiled at that. "Good to hear Alisa did something like that," she said. "And I'm glad they got together - I could see the attraction between them forming before I… left, I guess."

"Yeah," Yuuno said. "Now… are you able to go home yet, Nanoha-san? Or are you busy still?"

"I'm still busy, Yuuno-san," Nanoha said. "I still have a job to do, and I'm not one to ignore my duties to my clients, given the business."

"We still need to avoid the U-TIC fighters headed our way," Ziggy said, reminding them of what was going on. "Perhaps, after this is done, we can see what your home is like."

"Right," Nanoha and Yuuno said, before the fighter sped off and away through the gate column.

* * *

_Back with Shion and company…_

* * *

"Come on, everybody! Let's eat!" Shion called out, as everyone had plates of hot curry in front of them.

While everyone that was currently in the mess hall said varying things before they dug in, the only two that were heard the loudest came from Minato and Yukari, who called out, "Itadakimasu!"

As everyone ate, Shion looked around and asked, "Well? Not bad, huh?"

Allen turned to face Shion and said, "Chief, this is delicious!"

"Yeah, this ain't bad at all!" Tony called out from his seat at the bar.

"Don't think I've ever had Curry this good before!" Yukari announced, with Minato nodding beside her.

"Yeah, this curry's extremely good, Miss Uzuki!" Douglas called out from his seat.

"Too true, guys, too true!" Gabe announced as well.

"Oh, come on!" Matthews said, even as he continued shoveling in the food. "How can this girl's cooking be any good?"

chaos, at that point, pointed out the flaw in Matthews' statement. "But Captain, you're stuffing your face…"

"Ah, shut up!" Matthews growled out, even as he slammed the glass he was using onto the table they were sitting at. "Don't disturb a man when he's eating!" Turning his attention to Shion, he demanded, "Water!"

"Sure," Shion replied, as she reached over to the water pitcher.

chaos took the opportunity to talk and said to Shion, "You do quite a lot."

"Really?" Shion asked. "This is pretty typical for me back home. I have my no-good brother to thank for that. He doesn't do a thing all day except sit around and read books."

"Well…" chaos said, "there's no one on this ship that has any of your skills." With that, he went back to eating.

"That's a shame…" Shion replied. "I guess that's what happens when you have an entirely male crew."

"You got that right!" Hammer called out from his seat at the bar next to Tony. "Normally, there's not even a hint of estrogen on this ship. So you can forget about having a good meal."

"Who usually does the cooking around here?" Shion asked.

Tony, who had taken a drag off of a cigarette moments before and let it out, answered, "We take turns." Turning in his seat to face Shion, he continued, "Not that it matters, because the cooking's _always_ bad."

chaos spoke up again, saying, "There is one person onboard who does nothing but eat…" With that, he turned to face Matthews, who was shovelling food in his mouth still.

"Wow…" Minato remarked. "Didn't think someone could put away that much food…"

"Uhh…" Allen said, turning to face Shion.

"What's that?!" Matthews retorted, trying to save face. After realizing it'll get nowhere with chaos, he demanded of Shion, "Water!"

"Sure," Shion replied again, grabbing the water pitcher.

While Shion moved to grab Matthews' cup, Allen finally got the courage to ask, "Chief, um… could I have some water too…?"

"Oh! Sorry!" Shion replied. "I hadn't noticed…"

"…hadn't noti…" Allen barely got out, while Shion was pouring Matthews some water.

* * *

_In the kitchen at a later time…_

* * *

Shion, Allen, Minato, and Yukari were all in the kitchen after the meal, washing dishes.

"Seriously, Shion-san, that was some incredible Curry!" Yukari told her. "Where did you learn the recipe?"

"It was in my mother's cookbook, Yukari-san," Shion answered. "I still have the cookbook in my things, though it seems that most of my things got lost, what with the destruction of the _Woglinde_."

"Oh," Yukari replied. "Still, you'll need to teach me when you get the chance." '_Might see if I can make it when I get back to Iwatodai,_' she thought privately.

"…So, what're we going to do now?" Allen asked at that time.

"Well, we certainly can't leave KOS-MOS to her own devices, now can we?" Shion replied. "She activated all on her own, after all - we need to determine why and how she did that."

With a sigh, Allen stated, "And to think, we were supposed to get vacation time once we completed the startup experiment and turned her over to the Second Division…"

"You're starting to sound a lot like the Captain," Yukari said with a giggle.

"She's right," Minato added. "There's no use crying over spilled milk, you know."

There was a moment of silence as they continued washing. "The first thing we need to do is contact Headquarters and ask for instructions."

With a sigh, Allen said, "So I guess we're stuck with these guys for a little longer…"

"Huh?" Shion asked. "What do you mean?"

"I got a little suspicious, so I checked this ship's registry," Allen said, turning to face his boss. "Did you know that these guys are with the Kukai Foundation? That place is bad news. I heard a rumor that it's just crawling with mutants."

"That's kind of a racist comment there, Allen," Minato remarked with a bit of a dark tone.

"Sure, it's a well known fact," Shion continued. "The Kukai Foundation was established by the Miltian government as a specialized military group. But they only held that status until the completion of the post-war proceedings."

"I've heard they haven't gotten around to demilitarizing quite yet," Yukari remarked, "but they're being run like any other valid foundation nowadays."

"You know," Shion brought up. "As a matter of fact, their current director received a lot of praise for taking in and protecting victims in the days before the Species Preservation Act. He's really to be commended. Now what was his name… Um…"

"Gaignun Kukai," chaos' voice replied, as they all turned to see him in the doorway.

"Oh, chaos!" Shion said in greeting. "What's up?"

"Oh, I just dropped in to see if there was anything I could help out with," he said.

"Oh, thanks," Shion said in appreciation. "We could use some help drying the dishes."

"Sure thing," chaos replied as he went over to the dish pile.

* * *

_Later…_

* * *

"Whew! That's everything," Allen said, once everything was done.

"Yup," chaos replied. He then looked up, seeing one plate that still had food on it. "Huh? What's this?" he asked.

"Oh, that's for the Commander," Shion said, looking at the meal as well.

"Come to think of it," Yukari remarked, "he didn't join us for dinner, did he?"

"No, and I even called him…" Shion said, a bit depressed. After a moment to be depressed, she said, "Oh well, I'll just heat it up and take it to him."

"Well, how about we call it a day?" Allen asked.

"Good idea," chaos said, turning to head for the door, before stopping momentarily. "Oh," he said, looking back to Shion moments after.

"Did you forget something?" Shion asked.

"No, but… where did KOS-MOS go?" chaos asked.

"Oh, KOS-MOS?" Shion said. "She's being tuned in her service module, down in the hangar. It'll probably take a few more hours." She then realized why he asked. "…Oh, did you want to go down and talk to her? I'm sure she'd like that."

"Oh, really?" chaos asked, bowing forward in anticipation.

"Of course," Shion replied.

"Thanks. See you later," chaos said, before heading out the door to the hangar.

"Bye!" Shion called, as chaos, Allen, Minato, and Yukari all left the kitchen.

* * *

_Later, near KOS-MOS' service module…_

* * *

"So… we finally meet," chaos remarked as he looked upon KOS-MOS' sleeping form in her maintenance pod. "Now, where does the real you exist?" There was a few moments of silence, before he said, "Good night," and left.

Just as chaos left, however, Cherenkov walked in from a separate doorway. When he looked around, he realized something. "I guess nobody's here…" he said. With that, he walked over to KOS-MOS, unknowingly seen by chaos as the latter was going to a different part of the ship.

When Cherenkov looked KOS-MOS over, he recalled an incident on Second Miltia, back when things were different.

* * *

_Two years prior_

* * *

Cherenkov, who was in a U-TIC uniform without the mask over his face, walked over to a man in a blue hooded outfit in the middle of a rainy day. The man was silent throughout the whole deal, handing Cherenkov a small handheld device, causing the older man to say, "So you're the…" Upon waiting a few seconds, Cherenkov asked, "I trust this will work correctly? But… why?" When the last question was uttered, he looked up, only to see the hooded man was gone.

Later, U-TIC soldiers were flown into the area of Ariadne where Vector Industries was located, especially the part of Vector with KOS-MOS' development. While within the KOS-MOS lab things were going okay, with government officials in the same room to see where the Android was in development, it was only a matter of time before the U-TIC soldiers started pouring into the room.

At that moment, a doorway opened up, with a squad of U-TIC soldiers barging into the room. "Everybody down on the floor!" one of the soldiers ordered.

By the time Cherenkov entered through the doorway, most of his group of soldiers had secured the room. "This facility is now under control of the U-TIC Organization," he said, before walking further into the room. "Any resistance whatsoever will be met with deadly force. So don't even think about trying anything. So long as you follow our orders, you will not be harmed. We appreciate your cooperation." With that, he brought up the control mechanism, activating KOS-MOS and letting all hell loose.

"KOS-MOS!" Shion, who had been in the room at the time, yelled out, as the pod opened.

KOS-MOS at the time was much more mechanical-looking, and had silver hair instead of blue, and she had a visor in place of eyes. She sat up, then began twitching and convulsing, before leaping at another soldier and tearing him to pieces. She then proceeded to go after a female Vector Employee, completely out of control.

Cherenkov, who had backed up into a wall, could only watch in horror as blood splattered over his mask. When he continued to watch, he saw KOS-MOS cut open one of the government officials, with another U-TIC soldier shooting a machine gun at the android before getting pounced on and torn to pieces. With that, the lights went out, even as the massacre continued.

Cherenkov finally lost the battle of will, as he evacuated the building, leaving his back open to KOS-MOS on the off-chance 'she' was going to follow. When it became clear that KOS-MOS was following, he attempted to speed up, but got thrown into a crate outside of the building. While he was moving from the line of attack that KOS-MOS was initiating, a U-TIC fighter craft came into view, locking onto 'her' and firing its guns.

Nominally speaking, the shots failed to hit, even as KOS-MOS fired a blast of energy from 'her' right arm that decimated not only the fighter, but some of the surrounding area, to boot.

* * *

_Back in the present_

* * *

'_Is this… is this the same archetype from before?_' Cherenkov wondered in his mind, as he looked upon KOS-MOS' slumbering form.

With that, he brought out his pistol, hand shakily trying to steady the gun at the killer android. When one hand failed to keep it steady, he brought his other hand under his gun arm, mainly to help steady himself. However, it seemed like he had either PTSD or some other ailment, because he couldn't shoot at 'her'.

He was like that for a couple of minutes, before the lights turned on in the room, and the automatic door opened up. Turning his attention to whoever was at the door, he aimed his gun at… Shion Uzuki, holding a tray of food and water? "You…" he said, even as he lowered his pistol.

"Oh, umm…" Shion said. "I didn't see you in your room…" Lifting the tray somewhat, she said, "I thought you might be a little hungry…" Walking over to Cherenkov, she asked, "What were you doing?"

"…I was looking at her," the Commander answered, half-truthfully.

"At KOS-MOS?" Shion asked. "With a gun in your hand?"

"Ah, this, it's… it's a bad habit," Cherenkov answered as he holstered his gun.

Shion nodded. "I see," she said. "Well, you are a soldier, after all. I know someone with a habit like that." Even as she spoke, she walked towards Cherenkov, giving him some info. "He's always carrying a sword around with a weird grin plastered on his face. Don't you think that's dangerous?"

"Ah, yeah," he said, taking the tray. "That's definitely dangerous…" He then turned to look at KOS-MOS again. "So this is the android that can take on the Gnosis… she sure doesn't look like it."

"…Yeah," Shion said, feeling a fair bit downtrodden. Even as Cherenkov walked with his tray of food to a different part of the room, Shion moved a hand to KOS-MOS' cheek and continued speaking. "But… regardless of what she looks like, she's still a weapon."

"…I suppose you're right," Cherenkov remarked as he began eating. "Still… to some extent, she reminds me of someone. Someone who followed orders so much, that it pained her to disregard them. That's pretty much where the similarities end, because Chloe was removed from service for nearly endangering her comrades because she finally disregarded an order to save a group of civilians."

"I see…" Shion said.

"Chloe was someone dear to me, as well," Cherenkov added. "She wouldn't hurt a fly without being ordered to. She was only finally getting a job outside of the military when a terror cell called the U-TIC organization murdered her… all because she posed a threat to them during the Miltian Conflict."

"How sad…" Shion said after a moment. "That conflict took the lives of so many people…"

"I still wonder why she was targeted by the U-TIC organization at times," Cherenkov said. "My motivation for fighting in this life is to find the answers behind her death, before it swallowed me whole and kill me in the process." Before he took another bite into the curry, he asked, "How do you view KOS-MOS?"

"Well…" Shion began. "I… guess I always viewed her like a daughter… or more like a friend, maybe…"

"I see," Cherenkov answered. "Make sure she doesn't lose her sense of duty to you, then."

"I'll try my best…" Shion replied. She looked over at him. "I just noticed, but you eat very neatly…"

"Oh, really?" Cherenkov asked. "Well, that's just part of who I am… at least now."

"So, what were you doing on the _Woglinde_?" Shion asked.

"Why… why do you ask?" Cherenkov asked back.

"Just… wondering," Shion replied. "You seemed… different… from the other crew members."

Cherenkov stood up and handed the tray back to Shion, before walking towards the door and answering, "The _Woglinde_ task force was assembled hastily. Besides, I'm a soldier. I'll go to where I'm assigned."

"A… soldier…?" Shion asked, looking after Cherenkov.

* * *

_Meanwhile, at Area 66_

_Rupen Sector_

* * *

"Well, looks like we've lost them," MOMO said from Nanoha's lap to Ziggy.

"Yeah," Ziggy replied. "Thanks to your linking directly to the main controls."

With some giggling, MOMO said, "You're welcome."

"I doubt that'll last for long," Nanoha remarked. "U-TIC seems like a rather persistent bunch."

"You're probably right about the whole issue of them being persistent, Nanoha-san," Yuuno said from his spot on the shoulder of Nanoha's seat. "So… where are we going now?"

Before either of the two mercenaries could answer, MOMO perked up and said, "Oh, I just received a U.M.N. pulse. Preparing to long-distance jump to the Federation capital of Fifth Jerusalem."

There was a brief pause, before Ziggy said, "MOMO, we're not going back to the Subcommittee headquarters."

"What…? Why not?" MOMO asked in complaint.

"We were told to escort you to the autonomous government of Second Miltia," Ziggy replied.

At MOMO's downcast look, Nanoha said, "We're sorry, MOMO. Those were our orders."

MOMO took a bit to focus her thoughts, before she said, "All right… Now setting course for Miltian star system."

The small craft turned, before entering another UMN Jump Point.

* * *

_Meanwhile_

* * *

"I've received word that the 100-Series is onboard a ship headed for Second Miltia," one of the councillors of the subcommittee said.

"Well, that was fast," another member said. "Once she's safely transferred to the U.M.N. Control Center on Second Miltia, we'll finally have a little peace of mind."

"It's all such a bother, though," the female member that wasn't Juli Mizrahi said. "It would've been so much easier to perform the analysis here…"

"We can't decode the protection on that Realian here," a third male member reminded. "We have to send her to the U.M.N. Control Center, located at the former Vector Transfer Gate control facility."

"That's right," the first member said, nodding. "Besides, the entire area within a few dozen light years of Old Miltia has been sealed off ever since that incident 14 years ago. So this certainly beats traveling through regular space."

"Joachim Mizrahi…" the fourth male member muttered. "You really outdid yourself this time…"

Upon seeing the look from the fourth male member, Juli shook her head and said, "Oh, don't worry about it. You're absolutely right."

"By the way," the second male member said, "do you really think that the Y-Data is hidden within that Realian?"

"We have conclusive evidence that she holds the code to unlock the U.M.N. transfer gate leading to the sealed-off sector," Juli answered. "Aside from that, she's pretty much a mystery. We'll just have to open her up and see…"

"If she doesn't have it, we'll be required to delay the Zohar Project," the fifth male member said. "How will we explain that to the council…?"

Juli spoke up again. "Even if it's lost, we still have one other lead. Let me pull up my documents." With that, she pulled up an image file, and put it on the main screen. Getting up from her seat, she walked over to the screen, saying, "This image was processed from the only remaining surveillance camera. The picture's unclear, but that boy served as Joachim's assistant. Judging from the time frame, we believe he was somehow involved with the Y Data."

"Where did the boy come from?" the other female member asked.

"The records are missing," Juli answered. "The only information we have is that he was 14 and studying at the University of Bormeo. But even that's just second-hand information from Mizrahi…"

"He got into Bormeo at 14?" the third male member asked. "Must've been pretty smart."

"You don't know what happened to him?" the other female member queried.

"Correct," Juli answered with a nod. "It's currently under investigation."

"If he's alive, he'd be 28 years old now…" the fourth male member said.

"This research paper is on the secondary effects of the Hilbert Wave…" the third male member remarked.

"The Hilbert Effect…" the other female said in a thinking pose, before an idea hit her. "Do you think there's a chance he slipped into Vector?" she asked Juli.

"Back when U-TIC was still the Mizrahi Cerebral Sciences Research Center, Mizrahi's main patron was none other than Vector," Juli explained. "It's certainly a possibility. There's no concrete evidence, of course…"

"Dr. Mizrahi…" the first male member said, getting Juli's attention. "Please continue your investigation on this issue."

"Yes, of course," Juli said with a nod.

"In any case," the second male member spoke up, "our first priority is to get access to the Old Miltia sector. Our hands are tied until we recover the Original Zohar located there."

* * *

_Vector Industries_

* * *

"Master Wilhelm," the man in red said to Vector's CEO, "I have the data you requested on Typhoon."

"I see… thank you," Wilhelm said with a nod. Taking the data into his hands, he looked it over, scanning it for anything out of the ordinary. "Hmm… the data seems to match that of a normal human that can be found in this dimension so far… wait, what's this?"

Indeed, the part of the data he was on said Typhoon had something unusual that acted like a heart that pumped a life-force similar to blood, only it was a metaphysical organ. It seemed to be an organ designed specifically in humans from wherever Typhoon came from.

"Interesting… this will make it more challenging for anyone else to win against us," Wilhelm said, putting a hand to his chin. "If only we hired her before the Federation did… well, as some would say, 'shikata ga nai.'"

"If I may, Master Wilhelm," the man in red said, getting his superior's attention, "I believe that this next piece of data will interest you."

"Oh?" Wilhelm asked, even as he was handed another piece of data. Upon reviewing the data, his eyes near literally bugged out. "What… who sent this data?!"

The man in red simply said one name that caused Wilhelm's blood to chill.

"Takeba."

* * *

**Takeshi Yamato: OK, things are definitely getting interesting.**

**Ziggy has a Persona, we now know about how Nanoha got to the Xenosaga universe, and a general outline of how things progressed in the Nanoha-verse with Nanoha's absence (expect another story going into more detail on that eventually).**

**We've also spent a bit of time with Shion, and her conversation with Cherenkov went a little differently than in canon.**

**And that teaser at the end… just what information did Wilhelm get there? And he got it from a relative of Yukari's? This is definitely interesting…**

**Anyway, we're getting close to the next battle zone, where we'll get to see Shion's Persona. And we'll get to see Yukari in action again, which will be fun.**

****Well, until next time! :D**  
**


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